


Simplicity

by Galerians



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 68,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1450114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galerians/pseuds/Galerians
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaune always dreams of having a simple life. Yet again, life never is...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ch 1 - Enrollment

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: A different telling on RWBY’s plot. Just a story that popped out in my mind after I watched episode 8. It’s been bugging me, so I reckon I’ll get this out of my mind.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Enrollment**

 

A single breath left his lips, before a loud boom sounded right beside his right foot as his colossal enemy fell. He took one more look on his surrounding, making sure that all his adversaries were dead, before bringing up his right hand and pushed a few buttons on the device attached there.

 

“Mission complete,” he said simply. “Jaune? How about you?”

 

“Give me a second,” he heard a reply before something inhuman growled on the other end. A number of sounds were audible shortly afterwards. An almost quiet ‘shinck’, something rolling on the ground, and lastly, a heavy sigh. “There, I’m done. What is it?”

 

“Are you okay? You sound tired.”

 

“You try raiding a Beowolves’ nest with only a sword and a shield, and not get exhausted.”

 

“...I don’t.”

 

“Well, excuse me, Master! Not everyone can be as strong as you!” his apprentice shouted. Such short temper. “I know I’m weak! You don’t have to rub it in!”

 

“My, I’m flattered.” he chuckled. So typical of Jaune. Even while angered, he never forgot to respect his better. “You still have a long way to go, dear apprentice.”

 

“Wait a second, I know that tone...” he could almost see Jaune’s face paling. “Oh no, I’m not doing it. Not in a million years.”

 

“Don’t say that, you know I’m doing this in your best interest.”

 

“I said no, Master!” Jaune yelled to his communication device. “I don’t work well with a team! You know that! We had a discussion about this!”

 

“In which I won every single argument,” he reminded. “Perhaps it is time you fix that problem.”

 

“But-!”

 

“I will accept nothing but complete obedience. I already had your transcript sent last week.”

 

“What-!”

 

“Get your things packed tonight. You will leave for Beacon tomorrow.”

 

“But, Master...!” Jaune heard static. “Master Ozpin!”

 

Hearing nothing else from his earpiece, Jaune groaned in exasperation. Realizing that enrolling to Beacon had just become an inevitability, Jaune walked to the nearest tree and began banging his head on its bark.

 

“...Stupid Master...” he grumbled. How could he?! He knew Jaune never worked well with other people! Not because he didn’t want to, but because he always managed to finish whatever mission he was given by himself. Besides, he was never that good at following orders, bars the ones from his Master anyway. It might not be bad enough to cause casualty now, since he knew better than to take mission that required more than one personnel, but throwing him into an institute where he was required to be in a team? That was just tragedy waiting to happen!

 

Then again, his Master wasn’t exactly someone with the best teaching ethic. Jaune knew that best. After all, Master Ozpin’s way of unlocking his aura was to pit him against an Ursa, with no weapon or armor... when he was still twelve. It was that day he learned that his Master was a sadist, and that his training was going to be living hell from then on.

 

Not to say that it was a bad thing, not really at least. Jaune knew that without his training, he would have never gotten this far. If not for Ozpin, he would still be in that village. Poor, dirty, homeless.

 

 

Jaune shook his head. He didn’t need that memory resurfacing, not right now.

 

Jaune heard a growl, before reflexively ducking. He saw something gouged the tree where he had been banging his head, leaving three deep gashes on its trunk. The blonde teen whirled and made three quick slashes without blinking. The body of now dead Beowolf fell to the ground, grazing his shoes slightly.

 

It was not over though. Even in the deep darkness, he could make out several figures, inching closer and growled with those abominable voices of theirs.

 

“Fine,” Jaune brandished his sword and shield. “I can deal with some more Beowolves before going home.”

 

~•~

 

Jaune got out of shower, drying his hair with a towel as he plopped down on the bed. He took a look around the room he had been renting it for the last seven years, a simple room in a simple apartment, with a bed, wardrobe, table, chair, television and a fridge. He always preferred simple things, a part of his personality that made him stick with his sword and shield even though there were many advanced weapons he could have gotten in Vale. Crocea Mors never chipped, never dented, and never dulled despite the abuse he put them through. The fact that they were family heirloom was another reason he could never throw them away. Besides, they had never failed him, and Jaune had great respect for such reliability. 

 

Jaune looked at the clock; it should be a few more minutes before the pizza he ordered arrive. He took out a bottle of water from the fridge before turning on the tv, right on time for the news coverage of the place that had been in the center of his mind.

 

“Tomorrow is the day all aspiring Hunter and Huntress have been anticipating for. The gate of Beacon will open, and...”

 

Jaune stopped listening, knowing that there was nothing new they could tell him. Despite his unwillingness, Jaune had done his homework regardless, as there was never any short for information source on Beacon. What baffled him was his Master’s decision to force him into the academy. To tell the truth, he never really aspired to be a Hunter. In fact, he could just keep on going like this, save money he got from doing part-time jobs and simple missions. Maybe open a shop in the future. Have a wife and two children, preferably one son and one daughter. Die of old age, surrounded by family.

 

However, with his Master’s order, that life he had envisioned of having was becoming highly unlikely. Grimm Hunter was an occupation with a high rate of mortality, and for someone as weak as him, reaching twenty-five years of age was probably his limit, and that was being optimistic.

 

The teenage boy sighed and picked himself up. Jaune opened his wardrobe and began the process of packing whatever few clothes he had into a small bag he had procured on his way back from the forest, leaving only a black hoodie and jeans for tomorrow wear. He went back to the bathroom to retrieve his toothbrush and razor, throwing them into the bag before zipping it shut.

 

When he straightened up again, Jaune made sure to look around his apartment to be certain that nothing was left behind. It didn’t take long; his room was bereft but the most essential of items. After all, Jaune held no love for things, except for his equipment and the amulet hanging from his neck, but this room had been his home for so long. Knowing that tomorrow he would enroll to Beacon and might not come back to this room again was enough to put him in a state of melancholy, however mild it may be.

 

“Bah, I’ll just deal with it when it happens,” Jaune took another sip from his bottle. “And where is that pizza?! Does the delivery boy get lost again?!”

 

~•~

 

“Well, well, well. We meet again, my arch enemy,” Jaune fixed a fierce glare upon the flying object before him, earning weird looks from other passengers. “Today, I will conquer you for sure.”

 

...

 

Half an hour later, he was bending down on a trashcan, heaving his lunch like no tomorrow. What was he thinking?! That contraption was a thing of nightmare! Spawn of the devil himself! He couldn’t believe he got onto it willingly!

 

“Never again...” he moaned. “I’m not getting into that thing... ever again!”

 

He walked forward with wobbly steps, assuring himself that this time his feet had touched the ground. The boy raised his head to take his first good look of the so-called best Hunter academy in the world.

 

“At least it’s easy on the eyes...” he mused quietly, admiring the view. “And to think that Master is the top person at this school makes me pretty proud as his apprentice.”

 

Out of the blue, he heard an explosion. Out of reflex built from seven years of harsh training and life-or-death missions, Jaune reached for his sword and half expected for danger of whatever proportions to go for his neck. Thankfully, he managed to avert what would have been an awkward experience after seeing that it was only a bit of hassle between a small girl with red cloak and an older girl dressed in white.

 

He watched the exchange with interest, which ended with the cloaked slumping to the ground. His heart went to the girl seeing no one paid her any attention, so he approached her and offered his hand.

 

“Hey, need help?” he greeted as she opened her eyes. “I’m Jaune, by the way.”

 

“I’m Ruby,” she let him help her up before snickering. “Aren’t you the guy who threw up on the plane?”

 

Jaune groaned as they started walking. “...Damn, that’s really not the first impression I wanted to make.”

 

“Look, I’m sorry. Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.”

 

“Oh yeah? I have two words for that,” he crossed his arms. “Crater Face.”

 

“Hey, that explosion was an accident!”

 

“Well, just so you don’t call me Vomit Boy anymore, the name’s Jaune Arc. Short and simple, just the way I like it.”

 

Ruby chuckled. She tried to think on a topic, and decided that she would try with one that she knew best. “So... I’ve got this.” she took out her scythe and stabbed the tip to the ground.

 

She expected surprise or even amazement from her new friend, not the tip of a sword on her jugular.

 

“Ruby, the next time you do something like this, please warn me beforehand,” Jaune exasperated voice reached her ears as the sword left her neck.

 

“Did you just-”

 

“Look, I’m sorry. It’s my reflex. Sometimes I just react even to the slightest bit of danger. I caught myself in time, though, thank God for that,” not wanting to spook his first acquaintance any further, Jaune changed the topic. “Anyway, that’s a pretty big scythe.”

 

Fortunately, Ruby bit the bait. “Yeah! It’s also a customizable, high impact sniper rifle.”

 

“Sniper? And you can handle the recoil?” the girl nodded. “Uwah, that’s bloody wicked!”

 

“Thanks,” Ruby grinned. “So, what do you got?”

 

“As you’ve already seen, I have this sword, and the sheath is also a shield.”

 

“Oooh, nice...”

 

Jaune smiled. “Yours is nicer.”

 

“Well, heheh, I’m a bit of a dork when it comes to weapon. I guess I got a little overboard in designing it.”

 

“Wait, you made that?”

 

“Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons!” Ruby puffed her chest proudly. “Didn’t you make yours?”

 

“Nah, this is a hand-me-down from my great-great grandfather. A family heirloom, you can say.”

 

“Ah,” Ruby nodded. “So, what do they do?” she asked excitedly.

 

“Other than the retractable shield? I guess not much. Do you still want to know?” Ruby nodded. “Well, first, as my Master said it-”

 

“...Come again? Master?”

 

“Yes, teacher, mentor, sensei. Whatever floats your boats,” Jaune replied. “Anyways, as I said, my Master described them as invincible and eternal.”

 

Ruby was silent for some time.

 

Jaune chuckled at her confusion. “I know, my Master really loved his dramatics. It just means that this sword never loses its sharpness from the moment it was forged hundreds of years ago. Also, if the stories of my ancestors are true, nothing has ever managed to even scratch the shield.” He shrugged. “Nothing too fancy, but it suits me just fine.”

 

Ruby was flabbergasted. “What?! But that’s super awesome!”

 

“It is?” Jaune asked as Ruby nodded her head vigorously. “Huh. Can’t say I expected that. All this time, I only cared about how I didn’t need to take it to blacksmith for repair or sharpening.”  


“What a way to downplay an awesome feature,” Ruby said wryly. “So, so, is there anything else?”

 

“Only one more,” the blonde boy replied as he retracted the shield and sheathed the sword. “Try to draw it.”

 

“What?”

 

“Just try it. You’ll get what I mean.”

 

Ruby was confused, but followed the instruction nonetheless. She grabbed the blue handle to pull the sword out... only to find that she couldn’t.

 

“What the...?” her confusion gave way to curiosity, and before long, she was using all her weight to pull the weapon. Her face turned red from exertion for a few second before she finally gave up. “...How does it do that?”

 

“That is Crocea Mors’s last feature,” Jaune said as he drew the sword without any difficulty. “It will only obey an Arc.”

 

Ruby’s jaw dropped. “It’s sentient?”

 

“What? No?!” Jaune quickly shot down the idea. “Like I said, my Master really liked to dramatize things. Besides, how can a weapon have a mind of its own?”

 

“Whaat?” the girl said disappointedly. “So what kept me from drawing it? Is it some sort of fingerprint recognition system?”

 

“Ruby, this thing was forged in the First War. That was hundreds of years ago. Heck, I bet they didn’t even know the word ‘fingerprint’ yet!” Jaune gazed at his sword. “When I said it’s not sentient, I didn’t mean it’s exactly ordinary. According to my Master, all previous users of this sword had inserted a piece of their soul into it. Throughout time, they watched over the next wielder, giving him or her their guidance, knowledge, courage, even hopes and dreams. A part of them live on inside Crocea Mors, and they will stay there until the fight with Grimm is over.”

 

Ruby was, simply said, astonished with her jaw hanging.

 

“Heh, I know it’s going overboard, but you have to admit, my Master did make it sound bloody cool.”

 

When Ruby kept being unresponsive, Jaune sniggered as he reached to the girl’s chin and pushed her mouth shut. “Alright, you will swallow a fly if you keep that up.” He resumed walking. “Come on, let’s go.”

 

“Er, ookaayy. Where are we going?”

 

Jaune stopped mid-stride. “Hm. Now that you mention it, I absolutely don’t have the faintest idea of where we’re supposed to go.”

 

“And where are we anyway?”

 

~•~

 

Jaune looked around him... and promptly facepalmed. Seriously, didn’t these guys have any shame? There were girls in the room, for God’s sake! Couldn’t they put something on besides pants? He seriously wondered if they hit their heads sometimes before nightfall.

 

Let it be known that Jaune was really lacking in knowledge of social convention.

 

His problem with the guys’ attitude aside, there was himself. After living for seven years by yourself, scarce of human interaction except the essential ones, Jaune finally found out that he couldn’t sleep while being surrounded by people. He kept waking up from the barest of sound or movement, and this had been happening for two hours straight now. God, he was tired!

 

He finally managed to doze off for about... three minutes, before a commotion woke him up again, causing the swordsman to almost unconsciously reach for his sword. Sharply sitting up, Jaune ignored someone apologizing (which seriously sounded like Ruby), picked up his pillow and blanket, before exiting the room altogether. By Lord he would have his rest tonight, even if it meant he had to sleep on the park or the roof.

 

...

 

The park, not so good an idea. Turns out some of the teachers was patrolling the area since this was the day before Initiation and it was imperative that they make sure nothing bad happened. That was why he was jumping on the wall, finding leverages with both hands and feet as he scaled the wall of the Dormitory building.

 

Once at the top, he let out a breath. When he opened his eyes, Jaune felt like his heart leapt up his throat.

 

“M-Master Ozpin!”

 

“Aren’t new students supposed to be sleeping in the ballroom?”

 

“Ah, well, that...” Jaune scratched his head sheepishly. “You know I don’t sleep well around people...”

 

The Headmaster took a sip from his cup (coffee, judging from the earthy smell). “Jaune, this problem of yours is most concerning. Do you need help? I am pretty sure we can find a suitable therapist in Vale who can help with your mild case of anthrophobia.”

 

“...You’re making fun of me again, aren’t you?” Jaune deadpanned.

 

“The answer is both yes and no,” Ozpin calmly replied. “While it is true that teasing you is one of my most entertaining hobbies, I cannot deny that I am also worried.”

 

“If that’s true, then why did you coerce me to come to Beacon? You know my work method the best. I can function much better when I am alone. Or are you disappointed with my progress?”

 

“Jaune, I have nothing to complain about your current growth, but you need to realize that struggling alone can only take you so far. To reach your full potential, you need to learn how to work with other people. You working solo is good, but teamwork can make you better.”

 

Jaune looked at his feet. “...Isn’t it enough like this? Do I really have to become better?”

 

“You do, dear apprentice,” Ozpin turned around and walked to the door. “Isn’t that our agreement? That if you accept to train under my wings, you will do anything to meet my expectation? Even surpass your own limit?”

 

“...I guess.”

 

After that, Jaune did not continue, his brows furrowed together as if in deep thought. Ozpin took that silence as a sign of obedience and made to leave the roof. He was just about to grab the door handle when Jaune stopped him. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, now you just wait a bloody second! I didn’t remember agreeing to anything like that! When did this happen?!”

 

“Just now,” Ozpin smirked smugly. “I will meet you tomorrow, dear apprentice. Don’t be late.”

 

Just now?! As in half a minute ago?!  Where is the logic in that?!

 

“You know I don’t really operate within the realm of logic.” Ozpin said, as if reading his apprentice’s mind. “Anyway, I have to get back to work. Good night.”

 

“Wait-!” the door closed and Jaune was left grumbling by himself. “Oh that insufferable old fart! He tricked me! Again!”

 

He was preparing another bout of shouting when a gust of wind swept by and made him shiver. The night was getting pretty late. The sooner he slept, the better his chances were in passing the Initiation without getting mauled by any kind of test his sadistic Master cooked up.

 

Jaune picked a corner and lay down, one last thought crossing his mind before he took the rest he needed.

 

_‘I’ll just deal with it when it happens.’_

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: The idea came to me after I saw that Jaune always managed to considerably pull his own weight in a deadly confrontation (as you can see for yourself in “Player and Pieces” and “Forever Fall”. That’s why I concluded that the best way to improve him is by pitching him in a dead-or-alive situation. It is also why I put Ozpin as his master. Seeing that his initiation test involves launching students into a forest full of Grimm, I can’t help but picture him as the right person to give Jaune the push he needs. In short, it’s my take on Jaune being a badass. After all, when you’re the sole apprentice of the most famous Hunter academy’s Headmaster, what else can you be but a badass?

 

Should I continue or not? Tell me your opinion.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	2. Ch 2 - Initiation

**Galerians, in.**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Initiation**

 

“What the-! I don’t need to ‘break out of my shell’! That’s absolutely-!”

 

Whatever Ruby wanted to say next was cut short when the locker room’s door opened with a loud bang, revealing a bleary looking Jaune who was clutching a blanket and a pillow to his chest. His steps were wobbly as he made his way towards his locker, ominous sounding grumble could be heard from his lips.

 

“Uhh, Jaune?” Ruby called. “Jaune? Are you okay?”

 

“Do I look like I’m okay?” the boy snapped.

 

Ruby flinched, remembering last night. After all, it was the commotion she caused that caused the boy to storm out of the ballroom. “I’m sorry...”

 

“Geez, what’s got your panties in a bunch?”

 

Yang immediately froze when Jaune stared at her with narrowed eyes. She began to get a little scared when he said nothing for quite some time before growling, “...I don’t wear panties.”

 

Both sisters promptly face-vaulted on the floor.

 

The boy sighed. “...No, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m not used to waking up in the morning. It makes me irritable.”

 

“I can see that.” Yang said, earning a glare from Ruby.

 

“Yang, don’t be rude!”

 

“No, no, no, it’s okay. It is actually my own problem. I just never get comfortable around many people.”

 

“What, have you never hung out with your friends? You know, going to club, a party, or something like that?” Yang implored.

 

“Umm, no? I always worked at night, and when I get some free time, I usually use it to sleep or brush up on my academics.”

 

Yang opened her mouth again, but before she could make more rude comments, Ruby quickly intercepted. “So, where did you graduate from, Jaune?”

 

“Graduate?” the blonde boy looked lost for a moment. “Oh, you mean school? I never went to any.”

 

“Well, well, well, so you’re uneducated?” a new, haughty voice joined the conversation. Jaune turned around and saw the girl with hair the color of snow from the day before. “So how did you get the credibility to enter this school? Did you fake your transcript?”

 

“Honestly? I’ve also been asking myself the same question for some time now,” Jaune pinched his chin. “But it was my Master who took care of the whole enrollment stuff and practically threw me in front of Beacon’s gate, despite my complain.”

 

“What? Complain? What sort of complain do you have when you can get into the best Hunter academy with so much ease? Are you a moron?”

 

Jaune’s brow twitched. “Okay, Snow Angel. First, I know I am not the brightest bulb in a bunch, but I’m not that stupid. Second, I like my life simple, so why do I have to get a Hunter degree when I can do just fine without it?”

 

There was a few seconds of silence as the white haired girl narrowed her eyes until they became slits. “...What did you just call me?”

 

“What? Snow Angel? The ‘Snow’ comes from your hair.  The ‘Angel’ part...” Jaune looked at her. “Well, I have one advice: find a mirror.”

 

“Ooh, smoooth,” Yang slung one hand across the boy’s shoulder with a shrew smile. “I didn’t know you’re a playboy.”

 

Silence again. “...What’s a playboy?”

 

Everyone except Jaune sweatdropped. “Hot stuff, you need to get out more often.”

 

“Hot? I thought that word only applies to food or temperature.” if possible, everyone sweatdropped even harder.

 

“Jaune, in this context, hot means sexy.” Ruby supplied helpfully.

 

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Jaune smiled. “Well, in that case, don’t say it to me. The only ones who qualify as sexy among us are Yang and that redhead behind Snow Angel.” Jaune waved to the girl, who strangely gained a healthy blush on her face. He noticed that Ruby was puffing her cheeks. “Oh, don’t make that face, Ruby. I didn’t include you because you’re already in the ‘High-grade Adorable’ category.”

 

“Whoa, easy on the compliment there, lady-killer. Any more than this and you might get all of us fall for you.”

 

Instead of the reaction she hoped, Jaune looked absolutely horrified. “B-but, I’ve never killed anyone! I swear!”

 

All the girls slapped their forehead, except Weiss, who just exploded. “Oh, you’re such an idiot! How dimwitted could you be?!”

 

Once again, his reaction did not match anyone’s prediction. Jaune was wide eyed for a moment before dropping his head in misery. “I-I guess I really am...” he looked dejected. “I’m sorry. I-I’ll just get out of your sight now...”

 

Everyone watched as the blonde boy walked away, presumably toward his locker, a gray cloud almost visible atop his head. Yang approached Weiss. “Did you really have to say it like that? Now he’s looking all sad and pitiful like a kicked puppy.”

 

Jaune arrived at locker no. 636, before opening it with a set of password. He threw the blanket and pillow inside and was about to change when the red haired girl who had been standing behind Weiss approached him. “Jaune, is it? Nice to meet you.”

 

“A-ah, nice to meet you too,” Jaune took out his Crocea Mors from the locker. “Umm, I didn’t catch your name.”

 

“It’s Pyrrha. Phyrra Nikos.” She offered her hand.

 

“Jaune Arc,” he shook her hand. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

 

“I just want to tell you that Weiss didn’t mean what she said, and I’m sorry if she upset you.”

 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Like I said, I’m not the brightest bulb in a bunch, and I admit I’m also really lacking in social skills.”

 

Pyrrha probably would have said more, but words escaped her when Jaune took off his shirt, revealing a body full of scars. The boy himself didn’t even look perturbed as he took out a black hoodie and pulled it over his head, once again concealing his body.

 

The sound of Jaune closing his locker broke Pyrrha out of her musings. She didn’t want to upset Jaune again by asking about the scars, so she opted for something else. “Don’t you have armor?”

 

“Hm? Oh, no, I don’t,” Jaune replied nonchalantly as he strapped the sword to his hips. “My Master always said the sense of security that comes by having armors on will only make you less vigilant. After all, you don’t need armor if you don’t get hit in the first place.”

 

“Sounds like his training is very harsh.”

 

Jaune only laughed. “Tell me about it. One time, he tossed me into the heart of Forever Fall and told me to survive for a week. The only tool I had at the time was a knife and my shield.”

 

Pyrrha couldn’t keep her jaw shut. “How did you survive?”

 

“I would have liked to tell you, but it’s almost time for Initiation. I’ll get back to you on that later, okay?”

 

Pyrrha was curious, but she relented and nodded.

 

“Good. Come on.”

 

~•~

 

“Are there any questions?”

 

A loud snore answered.

 

“Good! Now, take your positions.”

 

“Hey, Jaune! Why the hell are you sleeping?!” Ruby tried to rouse the boy next to her, who bizarrely managed to fall asleep while standing. “Jaune, the Initation’s started! Wake up!”

 

“Huh-what? What’s started?” he asked stupidly, as the first student was launched into the air. His head lolled back, and in a second, he was snoring again, prompting all students who were still on the ground to slap their forehead.

 

“Jaune!” Ruby screamed one last time, which didn’t even manage to wake the boy up, before she too was launched.

 

Glynda Goodwitch frowned at the sleeping boy, then towards the other teacher who was now chuckling in mirth. “Headmaster?”

 

“I swear, this boy’s antics are gonna make me die by laughing.” Then, Jaune was launched. Seeing how he was still stubbornly asleep even through the ordeal made the Headmaster chuckle to turn into a full-blown laughter.

 

“...You really did make him into your source of amusement.”

 

“That I did,” Ozpin answered between snickers. “And still does.”

 

...

 

After Pyrrha landed, she quickly turned her Milo into its rifle form before looking through scope. She found her target, and it truly baffled her how he could still be asleep after being launched like that. She turned Milo again into its javelin form, took a moment to aim, before throwing it. A few seconds later, a thud was audible from far away and Pyrrha prayed that her aim had been accurate as she jumped down the tree and took off to find her weapon, and possibly her partner for the next four years.

 

...

 

Weiss walked away, ignoring the younger girl pleas as she tried to find a more suitable partner. After going through a number of bushes, the Schnee heiress suddenly heard a loud snore from above. She looked up only to find that blonde boy, Jaune Arc, peacefully in slumber even with a javelin sticking him to a tree.

 

She weighed her options, then turned back towards the scythe user, earning a happy “You came back!”.

 

...

 

Pyrrha was amazed. Truly, she was. A person who could go through all that without waking up was a special person in her book, even though she had to punctuate the word special with a couple quotation marks.

 

Pyrrha’s hand glowed as the red-haired girl used her Semblance to pull out the javelin. The boy fell down, and landed on his feet. She groaned when she heard another snore.

 

“How could he fall from that height and still not wake up?” she asked incredulously. “Oh, this is ridiculous!”

 

She approached him, cupped her hands in front of her mouth, then inhaled deeply. “JAUNE!”

 

The girl blinked when the person in front of her suddenly disappeared.

 

When she heard a voice, it came from over the tree.

 

“Huh? What? What did I miss?”

 

...

 

Not five minutes later, Pyrrha was leading the way when she came upon a small clearing. Her stance turned rigid when she heard a telltale growl from up front, two pair of glowing eyes were visible even through the bush.

 

“Jaune, we’ve encountered the enemies!” she warned her partner, only to see him walked past her with daunting calmness as two Beowolves appeared before them. She watched with a morbid sense of admiration as the blonde boy strolled forward without even a sway in his steps.

 

Then she heard a snore.

 

“What the-! Jaune, look out!” she screamed, fearing for the boy’s life as she saw the foremost Beowolf swiped at the boy.

 

Only, the attack never connected.  Instead, she saw the Beowolf hand flew in the air, no longer attached to the arm, prompting the monster to howl in pain for the lost appendage. A moment later, the howl was suddenly cut short, and the next sound she heard came when both monsters’ heads tumbled down their shoulders and rolled to the ground. Well, that and another loud snore.

 

In his sleep, the boy kept walking forward as if his life hadn’t been threatened by two Grimm, until he ran into a tree and blinked. Jaune yawned and was surprised when he found that he was holding his sword. He looked behind towards the two dead Grimm and his flabbergasted partner before smiling sheepishly. “...I did it again, didn’t I?”

 

Pyrrha didn’t know how to answer that, so she just let out her mirth and giggled. Oh boy did she find an interesting partner.

 

...

 

“Think this is it?”

 

Pyrrha looked at the various engravings beside the cave’s entrance. “I... don’t think so.”

 

Jaune gazed towards the darkness and shivered. “You’re right, but...” he picked up a tree branch and began making a torch. “Just in case, I’ll check it.”

 

“What if there’s something dangerous inside?”

 

“I’ll deal with it when it happens,” Jaune finished preparing the light source. “Can you light it up?”

 

Pyrrha turned her weapon into rifle form and shot it near the torch, which burned immediately. “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

 

Jaune thought about it. Shortly, he came to a decision. “Okay, you stay outside and take cover. If there are hostiles inside, I’ll be able to maneuver better by myself.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“I’m sure. I may look like this, but I can take a punishment.” Jaune entered the cave. “I’ll be back shortly.”

 

“Be careful...!”

 

“Just be ready to cover me should anything comes up...!”

 

Pyrrha made her way to the nearest big stone and positioned herself behind it, keeping Milo in its rifle form, obeying Jaune’s order to be ready for anything. A few minutes later, her ears perked up when she heard girl’s scream from inside the cave.

 

 _‘That’s strange...’_ she peered from behind the stone. _‘Was there a girl inside before we arrived?’_

 

The scream became louder, and the redhead prepared her weapon in case something unfriendly showed up. It did, in the form of a massive Death Stalker with patches of moss and grass growing out of its exoskeletons. However, what garnered Pyrrha’s attention wasn’t the large-sized, scorpion-like Grimm, but the fact that the girlish screams she heard were coming from her male partner.

 

“Phyrra! This is not the relic!” Jaune yelled while hanging on for dear life the giant Grimm’s stinger. “Run!”

 

“B-but how about you...?!”

 

“I’ll be fine! Just run aw-!” the Death Stalker swung its stinger, sending the male blonde flying. “―AAAYYYY!”

 

Pyrrha watched her partner disappear from view. Looking down, she found that the Death Stalker’s attention was now fixed on her. She gave it a sheepish grin, before turning tail and taking off without looking back.

 

At that moment, Jaune was pondering how that big Death Stalker managed to get into a cave with such a small entrance. His musings was interrupted by a girlish scream that wasn’t his own (yes, he was aware that he screamed like a girl), finding out that the owner was the first friend he had in Beacon. Jaune did a quick estimation, concluding that their flight paths would surely intercept. He couldn’t change his flight direction, so Jaune merely let loose a long, defeated sigh.

 

...

 

Jaune untangled himself from the tree before cracking his back. He was just about to join the others when a few incidents happened consecutively. A girl with orange hair arrived by riding on an Ursa; a boy in green appeared moments later from behind the Grimm. Pyrrha appeared from tree line, chased by the previous Death Stalker.

 

Lastly, Yang exploded.

 

“I can’t take it anymore! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!”

 

Jaune jumped down and answered. “Damn it, Yang, you just jinxed it.”

 

As if on cue, a Nevermore flew up overheard. Jaune noted that Snow Angel was hanging on one of its talon. “See? I was right.” Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose. “This day is getting weirder and weirder.”

 

“How could you leave me?!”

 

“I said ‘jump’!”

 

“She’s gonna fall.”

 

“She’ll be fine.”

 

Sweatdropping from his companions’ calm banter, Jaune cupped his hands in front of his mouth and started shouting. “Don’t worry, Snow Angel! Bad things only happen when you panic! Now, take a deep breath and calm dow―oh crap, she’s falling.”

 

The blonde bent his legs and jumped, catching the girl in white before touching down safely. “That was a close one, Snow Angel.” He let her down and smiled, a question mark appeared on top of his head when he heard her mumbling something, until he caught sight of Pyrrha being hit by the Death Stalker and was sent flying.

 

Out of reflex, Jaune jumped sideways, catching his partner mid-flight and skidded on the ground from the force. He coughed a few times before giving a strained smile to the red haired girl. “You okay?”

 

“Er... yeah!” Pyrrha replied before jumping down from his arms, hiding her blush.

 

“Great, the gang’s all here! Now we can die together!”

 

Jaune groaned. “Did you really have to say it like that?”

 

...

 

Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora watched on as the girl with red cloak ran up the Cliffs’ side, dragging the Nevermore by its neck with her Crescent Rose. She finally managed to behead the massive monster bird at the top, before walking back and looked down the cliff.

 

“Wow...” Jaune breathed out in wonder. “I bet that was the single most awesome thing everyone here has ever seen.”

 

“You’re selling yourself short, Jaune,” Pyrrha said behind him. “Your strategy is the reason we managed to kill that Death Stalker. You need to give yourself some credit.”

 

Jaune laughed. “No way! That was only possible because you guys are great fighters! Without you guys, I wouldn’t have-”

 

Before he could finish, a loud sound was audible from the ravine behind Jaune, prompting everyone to look at it. What happened next was so quick, no one was able to react in time. The supposedly dead Death Stalker appeared from the mist, clasped the blonde boy between its pincer, before falling back with him into the ravine.

 

All pair of eyes went wide. No one was able to utter a sound.

 

“...Jaune?” Pyrrha whispered, not believing her eyes.

 

“Jaune?”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Just let me tell you that I intent to make Jaune as close as possible to his original personality. That means all the idiocy and obliviousness is definitely going to be included.

 

So... the plot thickens! Tell me what your opinion on this chapter!

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	3. Ch 3 - Admission

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N (Very important): Okay, I’ve received some concerns about my version Jaune being flawless. Let me shed a bit of light about that. In the previous two chapters, I’ve implied to you that he was trained since he was little. I’ve told you that he took a mission to clear Beowolves’ nest, which he did alone(Ozpin was taking care of other nest). His survival training includes being thrown into a forest full of Grimm with only a shield and a knife. What was that supposed to tell you? If you thought that it was for the sake of capitalizing how strong Jaune is, then you are correct.

 

However, take a moment to think of his interactions so far. He was brutally honest, not even knowing that what he said was very close to flirting. He didn’t know some concept that should been clear even to the most ordinary of people. He couldn’t tell that the guys were trying to show off to the girls. He couldn’t even tell that Weiss was angry after he called her Snow Angel. What did that tell you?

 

That’s right. My version of Jaune is powerful, immensely so, in fact. But he gained it at the cost of not understanding. He has power and experience and intelligence, but not wisdom. He can kill a Grimm with so astounding an ease but he can barely tell the meaning of people’s expressions. He didn’t go to school, he spent his free time training or doing missions or brushing up on academics, alone. He forced himself to spend every waking moment to become as good as his Master. He barely had time for himself, much less for friendship or relationship. To top it off, the only _real_ interaction he ever had before Beacon was with Ozpin.

 

Tell me, is that flawless?

 

However, I admit that this is my fault. I tried to make it as subtle as possible, however, in doing so, I fear that I have caused misunderstandings. I shall try my best to avoid this and elaborate a bit more from this point onward. I apologize, and I hope my explanation will be able to make you understand my portrayal of Jauna just a little bit more.

 

Ah yes, one more thing. From this chapter, I’ve included some background music that you can get easily from Youtube. Trust me, it will be quite different if you listen to them while reading it. Here they are:

 

**-I Burn – Full version (watch?v=ooyRIEN6pys)**

**-This Will be The Day (watch?v=eHvA8nld8kk)**

**-Sadness and Sorrow – Violin (watch?v=mF3DCa4TbD0)**

**-Fuwa Fuwa Time (watch?v=xUOZjeDbRbM)--**

 

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Admission**

 

“YOU! BIG! UGLY! MOTHER! FUCKER!”

 

Jaune keep stabbing the pincer’s joint, trying to make it let go and punctuating each thrust with a swear word, even as they kept falling deeper into the dark chasm.

 

When he managed to do it, however, he realized that they hadn’t stopped falling yet.

 

“HOW DEEP IS THIS PLACE?!”

 

Just as he said that, a very loud crack sounded beneath him, signaling the end of the Death Stalker’s life as it hit the chasm’s bottom. Instinctively, Jaune brought out his shield before positioning it in front of him and coated his left arm with as much Aura as he could, hoping with all his heart it’d be enough to break his fall.

 

It did. However, despite being coated in Aura and landing on the Death Stalker’s remain, the depth he’d fallen through gave enough force that every bone in his left arm shattered. There was so much pain that he almost blacked out, and to prevent that, he opened his mouth and howled as long and loud as he could until his voice grew hoarse.

 

“Agh...! Ahh...!” as quick as he could, Jaune took the shield off his broken arm, knowing that its weight would create unimaginable pain and was detrimental to his health. He stayed in that position for a few minutes, sucking a few grating breaths and overall trying not to faint, for he didn’t know where he was and what danger may lie in the ravine’s bottom. 

 

The blonde picked himself up, careful as to not put too much movement on his left arm, before finally realizing that the place wasn’t in complete darkness. He looked around, where there were numerous crystals giving off blue hue scattered around what seemed to be a big cave.

 

He didn’t know why, but the dim light seemed to calm his nerves.

 

“Wow, alone in the room with glowing crystals and a dead Grimm?” he mused quietly. “Not exactly the way I pictured myself go...”

 

He was ready to just lie down and wait for sweet release, when suddenly one particular crystal shone brighter than the others, revealing a small tunnel on the other end of the cave.

 

“I’m really beginning to doubt that this is still the world of the living...” the blonde boy said as he sheathed his sword and strapped it to his back this time so it would be easier to draw in emergency. “Eh, I’m about to die anyway, so why not...?”

 

He walked limply into the tunnel, noting that there were smaller, but also glowing crystals along it that shone brighter whenever he approached. He didn’t know how long he treaded it, the tunnel seemed endless and expanded with no exit in sight, and how it went straight forward without any turn told him that this tunnel was not natural. But who in their right mind would make a tunnel in the depth of a ravine? It just didn’t make any sense.

 

After hours of walking, or what seemed to be hours since the pain made every second unbearably slow, Jaune finally arrived at another cave. Just like the last one, it being huge was an understatement, but instead of being at the bottom of a ravine, this one seemed to be completely underground, and unlike the other one, the wall of this cave was riddled with big holes. For what purpose Jaune couldn’t tell, though.

 

There, located at the dead center of the cave, was an altar. It was raised from the ground, with circular stair surrounding it. Jaune watched it with morbid sense of fascination, noting that the crystals around the altar were shining brighter than the others, as if beckoning him to go there.

 

Jaune admitted that this was beyond disturbing. His brain told himself that this thing was trouble. However, his instinct told him to go through it. He was at death’s door anyway, so what could a little trouble at the end do to him?

 

Resolved to sate himself of this curiosity before he died, Jaune walked to the center and climbed the stairs, realizing that its number was exactly thirteen. Not a good thing. Totally not a good thing. On top of the altar was a small, cube-shaped structure, with a very specific shaped hole in its middle. Jaune observed the hole for a few seconds, wondering why its shape looked familiar, before realizing where he had seen it before. He reached to his neck and pulled out the amulet he inherited.

 

His eyes went wide.

 

“What. The. Hell.” Jaune couldn’t help but take a few steps back. He analyzed his situations. “I’m about to die, I found a tunnel that suspiciously looks man-made, and it leads me to an altar where I find a hole that fits my amulet? I mean, what are the odds?” he asked himself in disbelief. “This is absolutely ridiculous. Is this something that normally happens when people are about to die? Or is this just something my brain cooks up in its last moment?”

 

He was skeptic about it, but as his mind grew faint from his wound just that bit more, his instinct once again supplied the boy with that twisted sense of logic again.

 

_‘What is there to fear if he’s about to die anyway?’_

 

“...I swear this will get me in trouble,” even as he said that, Jaune could feel himself smiling wryly. “Then again, as always, I can just deal with it when it happens.”

 

He walked to the altar and put the amulet on the hole without hesitation. One second passed with nothing happening, before all the crystal in the room brightened up like light bulbs and showered the cave in bluish light.

 

Jaune blinked, and found that he was surrounded by multiple figures who appeared so quickly that he reflexively reached his sword’s handle, ready to react on the first sign of violence. However, those figures weren’t exactly normal. They seemed to be made of transparent white substance resembling smoke.

 

The one exactly in front of him, and also looked the oldest, spoke first. “Welcome, Jaune Arc. We’ve been waiting for you.”

 

Jaune eyes grew wide for a second as he tried to keep his consciousness, as well as his grip on Crocea Mors. “How did you know my name?” he couldn’t keep his body from shivering in fright. “A-a-are you ghosts? A-are you going to take me away?” he asked in a meek voice.

 

Someone laughed; a woman this time, “Oh Jaune, you really are funny. It’s no wonder Ozpin like to tease you so much.”

 

If anything, his eyes grew wider. “You know Master? How?”

 

This time, someone from his right side, a tall man with thick beard, spoke up. “We know all about you, warrior. After all, We’ve been with you in every fight.”

 

“Every fight? But that’s-” he stopped himself. The blonde boy inclined his head slightly to the side, his eyes looking at his weapon. His face brightened up, as if realizing something. “Wait, you don’t mean...”

 

“I see you’re quick to understand as always,” the old man spoke again. “Yes, my dear boy. We are the Arcs who once wielded the weapon you now carry. We are your predecessors, and We have been watching you since the day you were born to this world.”

 

“O-oh,” Jaune responded simply, not knowing what else he was supposed to say. Before he could continue, Jaune’s vision went black for a second, his wound finally taking its toll as the boy lost strength in his legs and fell to his knees.

 

He didn’t even have enough coherency to complain when the woman approached him and put her hand on Jaune’s shattered arm. From so many bad scenarios his mind conjured, he didn’t expect to feel the pain fading away and his mind gaining clarity again. He gulped a preciously needed breath, and found his voice again. “What did you just do to me?”

 

“I might not have the strength to use my Semblance to full effect in this form, but at the very least, I can use what little life energy I have to take the pain away,” the woman smiled. “We cannot afford anything happening to you, dear Jaune, not at any cost.”

 

“Um, care to tell me why? I-I mean, I don’t think I’m important enough for you to do such a thing.”

 

The old man, who with clear sight Jaune could now tell that he towered over him, answered the young man. “But you are, my dear boy. You are the thirteenth generation of our Clan, the one prophesized to bring an end to humanity’s battle with the Grimm.”

 

Jaune felt like he had just been whammed with a pretty big hammer and was silent for a long time. That came, like, out of nowhere. “S-sorry? Come again?” he stuttered, trying to wrap his head around the new information. “I’m pretty sure I misheard you, but I swear what you just said makes me sound like someone important. Very important.”

 

“You are, dear Jaune. In fact, you are the most important Arc to ever be born,” the woman spoke again. “You are the one who will end our battles, and put all of us to rest.”

 

“She is right, warrior,” the bearded man continued. “I am certain you’ve already heard that every Arc who ever wielded Crocea Mors were to put a piece of their soul into it. While this enables us to guide the next wielder, it also binds us to this world. We can never move on to the afterlife, stuck between this realm and the next, destined to stay in limbo until the battle with Grimm is finished or humanity perishes.”

 

“...Okay, stop there for a second. You guys are going too fast. This is a lot to take in,” Jaune inhaled and exhaled, a process that he repeated for a few times as he brought himself up to his full height again. It was not after some minutes later that he managed to find his voice again. “Can’t you at least explain to me what the hell this place is? We’re miles underground, I should know, since I fell through that bloody ravine, yet I can’t help but notice that this place seems artificial.”

 

“It is, warrior,” the bearded man replied. “In fact, this altar’s creation can be traced back to the First War where humanity first won their battle against the abominable Grimm.”

 

“The land above us has been used to build many things in the past. Castles, fortresses, and just like this generation, institutions,” the woman continued. “But one thing remains the same. Whatever it is they build atop this land, they are blessed with the same protection that the first Arc sacrificed himself to create.”

 

“Sacrifice?” Jaune frowned deeply as he looked at the old man, instinctively knowing that he was the person she referred. “Don’t tell me they-”

 

“Do not fret for me, my dear boy, for I did it on my own free will,” the old man spoke with that calming voice of his. “In my last days, I realized that while I had managed to rally our people to push back the Grimm, the battle would still go on for years, centuries even, before it would be ended. Humanity needed a stronghold, a place they could always fall back to. A place safe from the Grimm’s harmful influence. So, I ordered my most trusted men to build this cave so deep within the earth it would never be found by those who would wrong it, and within it, an altar where I would draw my last breath to create the protection humanity so sorely needed.”

 

Noticing the visible change on blonde boy’s face, the old man brought up his hand and patted his golden mane soothingly. “Do not make that face, my dear boy. I will let you know that I had a good life, a fulfilling life. I died on my own terms, in full knowledge that my passing would serve the good of mankind, but most importantly, in peace. In my time, dark as it was, not many could claim the same.”

 

Jaune looked at the old man for a long time, managing to find said peace on his wrinkled features. He nodded, “So Beacon is also blessed with this protection you talked about?”

 

“Yes, but you need to remember, warrior. Time eats away at everything,” the bearded man replied. “The first Arc’s protection is no exception. What makes this worse is that this generation is prophesized to witness the revival of the Darkness humanity has never seen before. We cannot be sure if the protection will ever be enough anymore.”

 

“And that is where you come in, dear Jaune. While your generation is fated to face this terrible evil, it is also possible that this is the one chance humanity has to completely terminate the Grimm’s existence.”

 

They noticed that Jaune was silent for a long time again. When it was over, he merely sighed. “...Well, there goes my chance at having a simple life.”

 

“Oh, but it is quite so, my dear boy,” the old man said with very clear amusement in his voice. “If there is one thing we Arc always excel at, it is fighting.”

 

“Okay, now you’re just making me sound like a bloody brute.”

 

The bearded man laughed with that deep baritone voice of his. “You have to admit, warrior, it is the truth.”

 

“Besides, dear Jaune, what is so complicated about fighting for our survival?”

 

“Does the fact that it involves the whole humanity not ring any bells? Are you sure that you are not just trying to comfort me?”

 

She giggled. “Oh, dear Jaune, you just met us a few minutes ago and you already know us so well.”

 

“Well, what can I say? You guys _are_ my ancestors. Our line of thinking is not that different, after all,” he smiled before falling into deep pondering again. “Alright, let’s say I believe you, what makes you so sure I can fulfill this so-called prophecy? I mean, look at me! I’m just a nobody! My dream is to live a simple life, not carry out the battle for humankind’s continued existence! I don’t even think I am very well capable of doing such a thing!”

 

The old man smiled affectionately. “We are not asking you to do it right away, my dear boy. We will also help you with our guidance and our knowledge.” The old man walked forward, and put his hand on top of Jaune’s head. “We will not let you tread this path alone. We will be with you every step of the way.”

 

The bearded man also approached Jaune. “There’s no point in worrying about the future, warrior. Everything starts with a single step, so we just need to resolve whatever ordeal that comes up, one at a time.”

 

The woman did the same. “They are right, dear Jaune. And I also believe it matches that motto of yours.”

 

“Ah...” Jaune nodded, smiling wryly. “I’ll just deal with it when it happens.”

 

“That you will, my dear boy. That you will,” the old man patted both Jaune’s shoulders, giving the boy a fatherly smile. “Remember this. In any event you cannot believe in yourself, put your belief in us, who believe in you.”

 

Jaune was astonished. He looked around, finding that every man and woman was smiling that warm smile of theirs at him. “Fine,” he looked back at the oldest man, and gave him his decision. “If you are willing to put your trust in me, then I will try my damnedest to meet your expectation.”

 

All of them smiled proudly, as the three most prominent figures of them took a few steps back. “Very well, my dear boy. Now, let us give you our gift.”

 

And then, they all spoke as one. “By the power vested in us, we grant you, Jaune Arc, our souls and everything that comes with them. Let our knowledge guide you, and let our strength support you.”

 

“Let our legacy live on through you.”

 

Throughout their chant, Jaune could feel myriads of knowledge invade his mind, yet he could process all of it as if it was his to begin with. His Aura fluctuated, as if in harmony with all his ancestors. It grew brighter as it grew in strength, so much that it became powerful enough to mend his wounded flesh and broken bones. Jaune watched in marvel as all his wounds healed, and his fatigue swept away by his predecessors’ combined power.

 

“Before we disappear, I have one last thing to tell you,” the old man called one last time, as his smoke-like figure began dispersing. “Once you receive our legacy, a test awaits. Good luck, my dear boy.”

 

Jaune nodded before he truly processed what he had just been told. “Wait, wait, what?” his question was never answered, because the figures of his ancestors had finally dispersed and gone forever. “Did you just say a test? What test?!”

 

The crystals’ light grew dim once again, revealing a bright shine coming from behind him. Jaune turned around, realizing that the luminous light came from his amulet. The boy approached the altar and picked it up, observing it in amazement. The gem, which had been transparent for as long as he had it, now gave off an almost somber white hue, like sunlight through clouds.

 

His observation was cut short when a tremor shook the cave. He feared that it was a cave in before realizing that he could hear another weird sound. It was as if tens, if not hundreds of feet were stomping the ground.

 

He was confused no longer when tens of Death Stalker of all sizes streamed inside the cave from the holes in the wall, their ominous screeches filled Jaune’s heart with doom. He felt blood drained from his face, as the number grew and grew until the altar was completely surrounded by the swarming Grimm.

 

“Damn it, old man!” he cursed. “This is something you should have warned me about BEFORE you convince me to accept the deal! Bloody hell, there’s enough Death Stalkers in here for everyone in Beacon! Every Hunter and Huntress there is, even! Why did you give me your legacy only to try and kill me next?!”

 

He almost gave up and just threw himself in the throngs of enemies, before he heard small whisper, with a hint of mirth, as if the person was smiling. _“We gave you our gift, my dear boy. Use it.”_

 

Jaune froze up for a few seconds before landing upon a realization. “...Oh.”

 

**\--I Burn – Full version (watch?v=ooyRIEN6pys) or This Will be The Day (watch?v=eHvA8nld8kk)--**

 

The thirteenth generation Arc stood straighter, unstrapped his sword along with the sheath, before plunging it into the stone altar.

 

“By the power vested in me, I command you.”

 

All Grimm in the cave were suddenly silent, as if entranced.

 

“By the steel in my blood, and by the strength of my flesh.”

 

A dull, white light enveloped Jaune’s body.

 

“By the pain I endure, and by the legacy I bear.”

 

The light shone brighter, bathing the cave in its brilliance.

 

“Heed my voice!”

 

When he pulled his sword from the ground, it gave off a light so blinding that the nearest Death Stalkers turned away as if it hurt them. What they saw next was something the monsters would never forget. In place of what was supposed to be a sword encased in a sheath, now stood a massive blade enveloped in white Aura.

 

“Outer Arc,” Jaune whispered as he brought the weapon to his side. “Excalibur.”

 

As soon as that word was uttered, the screeching continued, and this time it was filled with rage so enormous that the cave shook that much greater, as if every Death Stalker wanted nothing more than rip the human in front of them to pieces. Yet it didn’t even faze the boy. This was the first time he had been so eager, so ready to carry out a battle. He could feel his bones humming in anticipation and his senses act up in tune to his fluctuating Aura, all that power just waiting to be unleashed upon his enemies. His grip on his sword had never felt more right. Nothing could stop him now. Not these monsters. Not even himself.

 

Jaune inclined his face slightly toward his surrounding, “Well, what are you waiting for?!” he roared as he looked forward again and took off like a bullet. “LET’S GO!”

 

The first thing Jaune realized about his Excalibur was that it cut through his enemies’ armor almost like hot knife to butter. In one swipe, he split a Death Stalker in two with an ease he had never dreamed of having. Jaune had no time for admiration, though, as he felt the air move behind him. The swordsman’s reflex kicked in, causing his body from the waist to bend back almost horizontally to the ground, a glowing stinger passed just a few inches above his face.

 

One slash was all he needed to cut the stinger off its appendage, causing it to be suspended in mid-air before he used an Aura empowered butterfly kick to send it back to its owner. He noted, with a sense of satisfaction, how it plunged the Death Stalker body right where its mouth was supposed to be.

 

“What is this?!” he roared, watching the countless Grimm surround him but make no move to attack. “Is this all you’ve got?! I expected better!”

 

Gathering Aura to his feet, Jaune flew forward with Excalibur at the ready. He wasted no movement, all attacks were aimed to hack, chop, or dismember everything in his path. When the swordsman reached the cave’s wall, he had already left a trail of Grimm’s minced pieces. He turned around and watched the monsters stampede towards him like a pack of deranged animals. Instead of fear, however, he could feel his blood boil, sending shiver of anticipation throughout his veins, all the way from his feet to the tip of his hair.

 

“That’s right!” he yelled as he gripped Excalibur’s handle with both hands, feeling and seeing his weapon respond to his desire to battle by glowing brighter than ever before. “Stop cowering and come at me, you mindless beasts!”

 

As if broken out of a short moment of delirium, the Death Stalkers now charged with renewed vigor, countless number of pincers and stingers trying to attack their target with the frequency of a pouring rain. Numerous tears and small cuts began appearing on the blonde boy’s clothes and body as their onslaught went past the swordsman’s guard. However, with whatever slight wit they ever possessed, the army of Grimm never realized that for every tear they made on the boy’s clothes, a member of their brethren met its demise. For every cut and gash they made on the boy’s body, a fragment of their army was hacked to pieces.

 

The earth cavity slowly grew brighter, not from the crystals but from the young swordsman’s glowing body and weapon. After one point, the light it was emitting became bright enough that it looked like the boy was completely wreathed in white fire, like an angel warrior bathed in holy light. It was so blinding that their foremost fighters had completely lost their vision, leading to random attacks that hit both enemy and friends, but also provoked them into a new height of ferocity.

 

On the other side of the confrontation, Jaune could almost not believe how easy it was to control Excalibur. Despite the massive size, it was so light to swing, yet it packed so much destructive power that everytime he cleaved his opponents, they seemed to die without pain. Wherever he willed it, the blade swung so fast almost as if the sword moved by itself, yet in absolute harmony with his mind,. It was the first time he ever met it, yet the blade felt right to his grip, as if he had spent every waking moment holding it. And then he realized that he did, because Crocea Mors and Excalibur were two sides of the same coin. They were the Inner Arc and Outer Arc, one existence with two different personalities, one of whom held its protective and defensive nature, and the other its opposite persona, the offensive and aggressive side.

 

The blonde boy smiled. It was perfect for his current situation. He was alone, with only himself to protect against enemies’ charge. And what better defense was there but attack with all he had?

 

Yet, as time passed, with every monster the boy felled, the others would gain fervor in their effort to kill him. Their escalating savagery was not lost on the swordsman. He was granted no rest, no reprieve, as he matched the beasts’ viciousness with his own fiery ferocity. He had lost count on how many times the attacks came far too close to ending his life, how much blood he had spilled, and how much new wounds he had received. But Jaune refused to stand down, for now he had a chance at surviving, and he swore he would make it back, no matter what it takes.

 

Jaune heaved a huge breath, filling his lungs with as much air as possible before holding it in and shot himself upward. He flipped mid-air, feeling his feet touch the cave’s ceiling. The swordsman looked down at the swarm of seemingly never-ending enemies, his body flooded with so much Aura that even his blue eyes began glowing in the dark.

 

“COME!” He roared, kicking back with so great a force that it left a crater on the ceiling. “AND CLAIM YOUR DEATH!”

 

~•~

 

**\--Sadness and Sorrow – Violin (watch?v=mF3DCa4TbD0)--**

 

Ruby knew why she couldn’t summon any happiness even though Ozpin had just chosen her as the leader of team RWBY. In fact, no one in her team was celebrating their success at completing Initiation with the greatest result ever seen. What excitement and pride they had felt when they defeated that Nevermore had immediately vaporized when they saw the Death Stalker took Jaune with it to its demise.

 

It had been almost three decades since Beacon’s Initiation last produced casualty. That was why the admission ceremony was carried out in a much somber atmosphere that it should have been. However, what surprised the students more was the fact that the ceremony was even carried out at all. Furthermore, the Headmaster even smiled everytime he congratulated a team, as if he didn’t care that his test had killed one of his prospective students.

 

Four pictures appeared on the hologram, the last team to be admitted into Beacon. As if in mockery, the picture of a blonde boy was present, causing the three other people who should have been his teammates to feel even more upset, if it was possible. This was especially true for Pyrrha, who was his partner, and the one who had failed to protect him.

 

“Jaune Arc. Pyrrha Nikos. Lie Ren. Nora Valkyrie.” Ozpin mentioned the names, not noticing or blatantly ignoring the new students’ feeling at the mention of their dead teammate. “The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR-”

 

“HOW COULD YOU?!” Pyrrha suddenly screamed, leaping forward and clutched at his collar. “We saw him die! We saw him die with our own eyes! We failed! We couldn’t save him!” she didn’t realize that she had started crying as she fell to her knees. Her voice had become quieter until it became a whisper. “How could you do this to us...? How could you torture us like this...?”

 

“Miss Pyrrha,” Ozpin voice, surprisingly, was calm and without a hint of anger. “You might think that you know that teammate of yours, but believe me when I say this...”

 

He turned about, facing the door. “For now, I still know him better.”

 

The double door to the Assembly Room suddenly opened, revealing a person Pyrrha thought she would never see again in her whole life. He looked absolutely exhausted, standing with one hand on the door frame to support his weight, the other was holding a white broadsword she had never seen him having. His clothes was wrecked beyond belief, his black hoodie looked like it had just went through a meat grinder and it seemed something had just ripped its upper right part, aside the countless small tears on his pants.

 

Pyrrha was just about to shout his name, but someone beat her to it.

 

“Well, hello there, young man! I see you finally deem it worthy to attend our admission ceremony!” the Headmaster pinched his chin for a second, as Pyrrha noted how similar the gesture was to what she had seen her partner doing a couple of times. “So, how about it? Was it fun?”

 

The person on the door looked up, revealing a deep vertical gash on his right cheek, numerous emotions displayed on his face before it settled on realization. “You...!” he growled as he began walking forward, realization turning into anger. “You knew! YOU KNEW!”

 

“Of course I knew. That’s why I made Emerald Forest the place for Initiation.” Ozpin smiled. “Besides, it shouldn’t have been that difficult. Don’t act like a pansy.”

 

“WHAT?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” the boy roared, even if his voice was hoarse. “There must have been a hundred Death Stalkers in there! A fucking hundred! I even lost count on how many times I thought I was going to die! And you said ‘it shouldn’t have been that difficult’?! You...! YOU...! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

 

“Now, now, there’s no need for such crude language.” Ozpin gestured to his side. “Look, your team is here. Why don’t you greet them first?”

 

**\--Fuwa Fuwa Time (watch?v=xUOZjeDbRbM)--**

 

“Eh?” The boy blinked, before his gaze found the kneeling Pyrrha. One more blink later, and it was as if he just forgot about his thirst for vengeance altogether. “Ohh, guys, you don’t know how happy I am to see you aga-”

 

“JAUNE!”

 

The next second, Jaune found himself glomped by four girls in quick succession. First, it was Pyrrha, then Nora, followed by Ruby and lastly Yang. Even Ren, Blake, and Weiss looked teary eyed as they approached the pile where Jaune was at the bottom and shouting in confusion. “Wait, guys?! I am injured, you know?! Ow! Pyrrha, go easy on me! Please! OW! Nora! Please, some of those ribs are broken! What the-Yang?! Yang, that’s my ass you’re grabbing there!”

 

“I thought you were dead!” Pyrrha shouted, somewhere inside the pile.

 

“I thought so too! In fact, I’m beginning to believe I am on my way there again right now!”

 

Weiss and Blake exchanged glances, before nodding at each other. They walked to the pile, grabbed their respective partner, before dragging them away.

 

“Hey, Weiss?! What are you doing?!”

 

“Let me go, Blake! That’s one nice ass he’s got there! Let me squeeze it when I’m still allowed to!”

 

The commotion stopped as everyone did a double take before all pair of eyes slowly shifted towards the female blonde. The person in question herself was finding herself being stared at (and, in some cases, glares) as she realized she had just said something she shouldn’t have. “Ah, um, I mean... let me hug him?”

 

“Despite what obscenity Miss Yang has blurted out, I believe it is prudent to let him go, girls,” Glynda said as she approached the pile. “I think it is not exactly healthy when you hug someone till they’re frothing at the mouth.”

 

Pyrrha and Nora whipped their head around, and finding exactly what Miss Glynda had described. Nora grabbed his teammate shoulders and began the process of shaking him back and forth. “Jauney, are you okay?! Speak to me, Jauney! Speak to me!”

 

This time, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his face turned blue.

 

Ren felt this was the right time to interrupt. He didn’t want his male teammate survive a near-death experience only to be killed by his own friend. “Nora. Nora, listen to me. Stop doing that.”

 

“But Jauney is sick...!”

 

“Yes, I can see that myself. But you’re not making it any better by shaking him like that, okay? Just stop and let him lie down for a bit.”

 

Nora pondered it for about a millisecond before smiling and letting go of the boy carelessly that his head hit the floor with a ‘thud’. Ren flinched, before approaching the blonde boy. “Jaune? Jaune, can you hear me?”

 

“Huh? Ren, is that you?” despite him answering, Jaune’s eyes were still rolled back. “What do you want? I can almost reach that light.”

 

“Okay, this is worse than I thought,” Ren tapped Jaune’s cheek lightly. “Jaune? Do not go into the light. Can you understand me? You don’t want to go into the light. Turn back. We’re here, on this side.”

 

“But it’s so pretty...”

 

“I know it’s pretty, but it’s not good for you. The light is bad, okay? Really bad. Seriously. Stop walking towards it and turn back.”

 

While Ren was busy calling out to Jaune, Glynda noted that the Headmaster was bending forward, clutching his stomach. She suppressed the desire to walk up to him and hit him with her crop. Instead, she said this, “Sir, I think you should intervene before this gets out of control.”

 

“Why?” behind that glasses, Ozpin was tearing up. “This is one of the perks of my life! Why should I intervene?”

 

Glynda brandished her crop.

 

Meanwhile, Ren had finally managed to revive Jaune. “Thank God. I thought I had to get the defibrillator.”

 

“Ren?” he looked at his friend confusedly. “You know, I had this strangest dream about being hugged to death. I’m so glad I’m still alive...”

 

“Then let’s keep it that way. Can you stand?” Ren offered his hand.

 

“Thank yo-” Jaune barely said that before Pyrrha glomped him again.

 

“Oh God, not again,” Ren groaned before instinctively reaching out when a pink blur almost passed him. He held on to Nora’s waist, not wanting to repeat history while trying to talk Pyrrha out of it. “Pyrrha? Listen to me. He’s here now. He’s not going away again, okay? Nora, calm down. Stop struggling. If you join, the hug would turn deadly. Pyrrha, please, at least use less strength. I just revived him, don’t put him in a coma again.”

 

“Okay, that’s enough!” Ozpin called out, walking to the stage’s edge. He earned a few strange looks when the students saw bruise marks on his face. “Bring him over here. We need to finish the ceremony.”

 

Pyrrha looked reluctant for a little bit before she relented. The red haired girl slung Jaune’s right arm across her shoulder and helped him walk until they stood in their original position before the whole commotion. Pyrrha couldn’t help but note that it was now perfect, with Jaune right beside her.

 

“Phyrra, you can let me go. I can stand by myself.”

 

Pyrrha looked at him worriedly. “Are you sure? I don’t mind doing this.”

 

“It’s not that. It’s just... this is a very important occasion. I want to do it as normally as possible.”

 

“Your entrance didn’t exactly make this a normal ceremony, though.”

 

“Ditto the ‘as possible’ part.”

 

Pyrrha smiled as she let go of Jaune’s arm, watching him intently as if fearing he’s gonna break if she left him too long. It was unnecessary; however, as the blonde boy was able enough to straighten his posture and take ‘at ease’ stance.

 

“Are you ready?” Ozpin asked. Receiving multiple nods, he started the team’s admission again. “Jaune Arc. Pyrrha Nikos. Lie Ren. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR.”

 

The applause, this time, thundered louder than any other in the whole ceremony.

 

“Led by my own dear apprentice, Jaune Arc!”

 

The ear-splitting noise suddenly died down. The whole student body was too shocked to manage even a squeak.

 

Jaune looked around, confused and a little bit scared. His gaze found his teammate, whose jaws were all hung. “Uhh, guys?” he waved his hand in front of Phyrra’s face, the one nearest to him, not earning any reaction. “Hey, what’s the matter? Guys, cut it out. You’re really freaking me out right now.”

 

Pyrrha was the first one to find her voice again. “You’re Mr. Ozpin’s apprentice?”

 

“Er, yeah?” Jaune replied confusedly. “Is there something wrong with that?”

 

“...Let me rephrase that question.” Pyrrha inhaled deeply. “You’re Mr. Ozpin’s apprentice, who, before his retirement, was hailed as the best Hunter to ever exist?”

 

Jaune stared dumbly at his partner for a few seconds, not saying anything but a single sentence.

 

“...Huh, I didn’t know that.”

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: I know that I can’t write a battle scene to save my life, but at the very least, I tried my best. Would you be so kind as to leave your opinion? I really need it.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	4. Ch 4 - School

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: For those who are curious, I based Jaune’s Excalibur from Cloud’s First Tsurugi in FFVII – Advent Children.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**School**

 

“I still don’t understand how having your own apprentice threatening to kill you translates into a happy occasion, Headmaster.”

 

“But it is. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for him to be angry at me?”

 

Glynda looked at her superior with a frown, wondering if he was all there in the head. “Normally, most people would think that someone being angry at them is not exactly a good thing.”

 

Hearing that, the Headmaster lost some of the vibrant happiness that was radiating for his person just a second ago. “...I agree,” when he inclined his head slightly to regard the female teacher, somehow his smile looked a bit sad. “However, Jaune and I aren’t most people.”

 

They were silent for a while before the man brightened again. “Come on, we still have jobs to do.”

 

Glynda still felt curious, yet she relented and picked up her pace to match the Headmaster. There would be time for talk, and if anything, she was a patient person.

 

~•~

 

“So, it really isn’t true?”

 

“Yes!” Jaune replied, visibly exasperated.

 

“So what made you say that in the first place?”

 

“I don’t know! You see, I was so exhausted that I might have overdramatized things!” he gave his friends a strained smile, hoping with all his heart that they would buy his lie. He really didn’t like to lie like this, but his Master had ordered him to keep what truly happened in the cave a secret, so he really had no other choice. “Guys, just think about it. We had some difficulty beating that one Death Stalker even with the four of us. Can you imagine me taking on a hundred of those? It’s so ridiculous it’s not even funny!”

 

His team, along with team RWBY who visited him at the same time, looked at each other. They did consider it to be a bit of a stretch, yet they still weren’t completely convinced.

 

Not believing himself to be able to lie any further, Jaune faked a yawn. “Look, it’s already past nine. I’m tired, and so you guys must have been as well considering you had class while I didn’t. So can we all just say good night and go to sleep?”

 

“Jaune-”

 

“Good night!”

 

They saw him face the other way while pulling the cover over his head, effectively ending the conversation. They all gave him one last lingering look before leaving the infirmary together, not hearing a quiet sigh of relief the boy let out when they exited the room.

 

They almost reached their respective rooms when Ren finally asked the question they had all asked in their minds.

 

“So... do you guys believe him?”

 

“It’s hard to say...” Ruby replied unsurely. “While I do think it’s impossible to win against Death Stalker of that number, it’s just that... you know...”

 

“You think that he was lying?” Yang asked, earning a hesitated nod from her sister. “Don’t worry, Ruby. I bet we’re all thinking the same thing.”

 

“Well, he _is_ a very bad liar...” Blake chimed in.

 

“Then, if he really was lying, can we assume that what he said during the admission ceremony is the actual truth?” Pyrrha asked. “But accomplishing such a thing would put him in the same league as the best Hunters in the world!”

 

“Which, considering who he is, might have some roots, after all,” Weiss added her own opinion. “I mean, honestly, he was trained by the best Hunter in the whole Remnant, for Dust’s sake...!”

 

“But... a hundred Death Stalkers?” Yang said skeptically. “I mean, seriously, I can see that he’s good, everyone can see it if they look hard enough. But can someone be _that_ good?”

 

“And what is that sword he had when he arrived in the admission ceremony?!” Ruby the resident weapon fan girl yelled, clutching at her hair with frustration. “My God, that design was absolutely beautiful! Yet no matter how much I asked, he won’t tell me anything!”

 

“Guys, I think we’re all missing the point here!” everyone turned around to look at the grinning Nora. “Ten, a hundred, it doesn’t really matter! What matters is not how he did it, but that he came back to us in the end!”

 

Everyone couldn’t find words to say until Blake broke the silence. “That was... surprisingly deep.”

 

“She does have her moments,” Ren patted his childhood friend’s head with a proud smile.

 

Pyrrha sighed. “I guess that’s true...” he looked to her friends with a tired smile. “Come on, guys. We can continue this some other time. For now, let’s just call it a night.”

 

~•~

 

“So who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?”

 

Weiss gritted her teeth before raising her hand. Yet, before she even managed to utter a single syllable, another noise interrupted her, in the form of a loud snore from rearmost seat. All heads turned around, eyes looking at a blonde boy who was now bending backward on his chair, dozing off without a care in the world.

                                                              

“Jaune...! Wake up...!” Pyrrha shook her partner while whispering fiercely to his ear. Not that it had any noticeable effect, though. “Come on, we’re in class...! What in the world is wrong with you...?!”

 

After one particularly vicious shake, Jaune was wrenched from his peaceful slumber. He looked around with droopy eyes, almost as if not recognizing where he was.

 

“Mr. Jaune Arc, I’m glad you finally decided to join us!” Professor Port called out, though his voice carried as much amusement as it did irritation. “Well then, let’s find out if you have what it takes to be a Hunter! Step forward, and face your opponent!”

 

Jaune yawned as he picked himself up and began walking towards the front of the class, though he could only take two steps before Pyrrha grabbed his sleeve. “Jaune, what are you doing...?! Shouldn’t you go fetch your weapon first...?!”

 

“Weapon? What for?” Jaune looked to Port, then to the rattling cage in beside the chubby professor. He put two and two together. “Ohh, that...” Team JNPR’s leader returned his eyes to the teacher. “Sir, is that a Grimm?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What kind?”

 

“I cannot tell you that. As a Hunter, you need to be ready for any enemy you may encounter.”

 

“I... see...” the boy pinched his chin. “Can I at least ask how many?”

 

“You only have to face one. I’m giving you a test, not a death sentence.”

 

“I see!” Jaune brightened considerably before walking forward again. “I can deal with that!”

 

“Jaune?!” Pyrrha called out. “Jaune, think it over! Without a weapon, you’ll be at a disadvantage, not to mention you’re still injured! I don’t want you to get hurt more than this!”

 

“Eh, I’ll be fine. I had two days off to recover, after all. That’s enough time for me to heal,” he didn’t mention that normally it would take thrice that time, but his healing factor had strengthened considerably after the events in the underground cave, allowing him faster recovery time. His wounds still hadn’t completely healed, sure, but at the very least he would be okay as long he avoid being hit. “Besides, it won’t be the first time I fight a Grimm with my bare hands.”

 

Port raised one of his eyebrows as Jaune took his position in front of the class. “You actually had this kind of experience before?”

 

“Plenty,” Jaune nodded confidently as he began stretching. “When you have Master Ozpin as a mentor, this sort of thing happens on a weekly basis.”

 

“...Okay,” Port grabbed his weapon, ready to chop the cage open. “Are you ready?”

 

Jaune looked at his team. Nora was bouncing up and down in her seat while yelling, “GO GO JAUNEY!”, Ren who just smiled slightly, then finally, towards Pyrrha who was biting her lips, visibly worried. He gave them a thumbs-up, before facing forward again and nodded to Port. “Do it.”

 

Jaune held his breath as the professor swung his axe to cut the padlock and open the cage, revealing a boar-like Grimm. “Hm, so it’s a Boarbatusk.” Jaune lowered his stance, hands balled into fists. “This will take some effort.”

 

The Boarbatusk charged at the young man, shooting forward at almost thirty miles per hour with impressive acceleration. Their short distance caused Jaune to have inadequate time to prepare, so the boy opted to roll sideways rather than putting himself in unnecessary harm. By the time it made second charge, however, Jaune already had plenty of time to get ready. After taking the Grimm’s speed and the area’s width into account, he somersaulted backward into the air, how far and high he jumped was calculated carefully so he landed right on the Boarbatusk’s back as it stopped before it ran into the wall.

 

Grabbing both tusks, Jaune used his own weight and muscle strength to flip the beast onto its back, suspended in the air by his feet. Not giving time for his enemy to compromise the position, he gave a mighty grunt as the blonde kicked upward with as much strength as he got, sending the Grimm flying until it almost hit the ceiling.

 

Jaune flipped to his hands and feet, taking a quick but deep breath, before launching himself to join the Boarbatusk up in the air. Gathering Aura to both his fists, he began to pummel the beast’s belly with a loud roar, not letting up for even a second. Five feet before they hit the floor, Jaune gathered a monstrous amount of Aura to his right hand that it gained a very visible shine, before bringing down the vicious attack to the Grimm’s stomach, sending it crashing down the floor where it created a small crater.

 

Jaune touched down on his feet before straightening up, grimacing slightly as he shook the hand he used for the finishing attack, his knuckle bleeding slightly. “I swear, even though it’s supposed to be a weak point, this thing still has a ridiculously thicker hide than an Ursa.” Jaune looked up, noting that no one made a sound and just stared at him wide eyed. “...Okay, what did I do wrong now? I beat it, didn’t I?”

 

“...Did he just punch a Boarbatusk to death?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“In less than a minute?”

 

 “Yep.”

 

“Barehanded?”

 

“...Yep.”

 

“Alright, guys, come on! I know I did it in the simplest way I know and it didn’t look all that impressive, but I think I finished the battle just fine, didn’t I?!” Jaune walked back to his seat, grumbling. “Sheesh, I know my skills aren’t that good, but why does everyone always have to rub it in?”

 

“...He doesn’t understand just what kind of crazy thing he just did, does he?”

 

“Nope.”

 

**~•~**

 

“You’ve been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time... to think about how you will uphold it.”

 

Ozpin watched the young girl turn away before walking towards the opposite direction. He was about to turn in the intersection when someone’s voice greeted him, “That was a pretty inspiring talk, Master.”

 

Ozpin glanced towards the boy. “Jaune, didn’t I teach you that eavesdropping is bad?”

 

“It’s not like I did it intentionally. I just came across you guys while you were conversing,” he leaned on the wall, crossing his arms. “Still, I’m surprised that it didn’t even take one day for someone to require your consult. I guess you really are a good teacher.”

 

“What are you so surprised about? I’ve been your teacher as well, haven’t I?” Ozpin observed the somewhat surly boy for a bit before realizing what was going on. “Ahh, I see. You’re jealous that I paid attention to someone else, aren’t you?”

 

“W-wha?!” the boy sputtered. “I-I’m not jealous...!”

 

“You do realize that you’re not really helping your case by pouting like that, don’t you?” Ozpin laughed when he saw a mighty blush bloom on the blonde’s cheeks. “Oh, you’re such a spoiled child, dear apprentice.”

 

“T-then, it’s your fault for spoiling me...!” it had the opposite effect, as it only caused the older man to laugh even harder. “Grrh, stop laughing already, stupid Master!”

 

Ozpin tried to not embarrass his apprentice further, yet he was failing as indicated by the snickers that still escaped his mouth even as he patted the blonde boy’s head. “So, what’s the matter? What troubles you this time?”

 

Jaune met his Master’s eyes for a couple of seconds before looking away. “What makes you think I have a problem? Maybe I just want to say hi.”

 

“Jaune, you might not notice, but you’re a very bad liar.” Ozpin admonished. “So out with it, already. Or do you want me to beat it out of you like always?”

 

Jaune hesitated, but the look on his Master’s face made him realize that he had no other choice but to confess right now. “That talk you had with Ruby just a minute ago? It’s been bugging me as well.”

 

Ozpin waited patiently as Jaune pondered his next words. “Master, the difference between me and Ruby is that you actually have proof of how abysmal my performance is within a team. But not only you made me enroll me into a place where I’m required to be in one, you even made me the leader! I don’t think someone like me have the quality needed for that kind of position!”

 

“Jaune, look, have you any idea why you’re so bad at teamwork?”

 

Jaune’s face became sullen as he nodded. “...Because of my insubordination.”

 

“Correct. Now, can you remember why you always did so?”

 

“Because they always made imperfect strategies. Some were inefficient, and some were outright putting my teammates into unnecessary danger.”

 

“And you couldn’t let it happen, could you? That’s why you argued. Because you can recognize a bad order when you hear them,” Ozpin patted his apprentice shoulder. “However, despite your competence, your previous teams never accepted your input because of their ego. That is why I put you in your current shoes. Because you’re always supposed to be a leader, not a follower.”

 

Jaune looked up. “Do you really believe it? That I can be a good leader for my team?”

 

“Yes,” Ozpin answered without hesitation. “But you need to remember that you can’t become a good leader by doing nothing. You need to know your comrades. Their ability, both physical and mental. Their strengths and weaknesses. Their personalities and their quirks. But most importantly, you need their trust.”

 

“Trust?”  


“Trust,” Ozpin clarified. “It is vital. And without it, no matter how good you are individually, you will crumble as a team.”

 

Ozpin put his hands on Jaune’s shoulder. “I’ll be honest, it won’t be easy. It will be rough, and there will be a lot of problems on your hands.” Ozpin squeezed. “I won’t tell that you’ll succeed right away. But can you at least try?”

 

Jaune made eye contact for but a few moments before nodding.

 

“Yes, Master. I’ll give it my best.”

 

**~•~**

 

In an afternoon two weeks later, Team RWBY and Team JNPR were currently in the cafeteria, trying to enjoy their lunch... emphasis on the word ‘trying’. Right from the get go, they had watched Jaune gather an enormous amount of food into his tray, so much that they had to guide him to the table since the mountain of food completely blocked his sight as he walked. Then, they barely got a bite in before Jaune stole their attention again, this time by wolfing down his food with an almost disturbing speed that they swore he was inhaling all those food like air through the nose.

 

A few minutes passed, and he was still not showing any sign of slowing down.

 

“Jaune?” Pyrrha called her partner, noting how the pancake he brought to his mouth disappeared after a couple of blinks. “Jaune, listen to me. Slow down. You need to chew, okay? Sooner or later you’re gonna choke on your food if you keep that up.”

 

Jaune immediately froze, before finally looking up. His eyes wandered, realizing that all his friends were watching him wide eyed. Even the normally sugar-high Nora seemed speechless. “...What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

 

Pyrrha sighed. “Jaune, you’ve been acting strange lately. Are you okay?”

 

Jaune was currently bringing a spoon full of what seemed to be stir-fry to his mouth. “Huh? Oh yeah!” he gave his partner a strained smile. “Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“It’s just that you seem like... not okay.” Ruby added.

 

“Guys, I’m fine. Seriously!” he watched his friends gave him looks full of doubt. Trying to placate the situations, he grinned widely. “Look, I’m smiling!”

 

Ren put down his spoon. “Jaune, you seem to be troubled by something since the first week of school. I know for a fact that you always seem to be eating much more every time you’re upset. What’s the matter?”

 

“Yeah, Jauney! I mean, I’m supposed to be a big eater, but you’re totally on a whole different league!” Nora threw in her opinion.

 

“...Was it really that bad?”

 

“Jaune, listen to me,” Weiss spoke from beside Ruby. “A human isn’t supposed to eat two kilos worth of food in ten minutes. It’s abnormal, period.”

 

Jaune looked around again, before sighing heavily. “Fine, I’ll tell you guys,” he set aside his food tray. “Look, I-”

 

Before he started, however, Cardin’s loud laugh interrupted Jaune. The blonde peered at his direction, where the bully and his team was picking on that bunny Faunus girl again. Jaune put down his eating utensils before standing up. “Let me get back to you on that in a minute.”

 

“Jaune...” Pyrrha tried to stop him, but he already left the table. The whole gang groaned as one (except Nora) before Ruby prudently described what was on their collective minds. “Here we go again...”

 

“What the-! Oh not you agai―Ogh!”

 

The loud sound of brawl filled the cafeteria for a few minutes, a noise now familiar to the students as they had heard it several times in the course of two weeks. Three different bodies sailed through the air to different part of the room, before the sound of glass shattering was audible when Team CRDL’s leader was sent careening through the window.

 

Jaune returned to the table without looking even a bit perturbed, the only proof that he had been involved in a fight was a small scratch on his jaw.

 

“Jaune, did you really have to do that?”

 

“Oh, absolutely,” he answered Ren’s question without pause. “Like Master said, when a bad deed goes unpunished, it will only serve to encourage the perpetrator.”

 

“But was it really necessary to throw him out of the window like that?” Ruby asked with a grimace.

 

“Yeah... I really think I should increase the punishment,” Jaune said as he pinched his chin, looking like he seriously considered the idea. His friends sweatdropped at the same time (except Nora). “I mean, he’s lucky I only throw him out of the window. Master once punished me by sending me into Forever Fall to stay for the night.”

 

“I’m beginning to think that Mr. Ozpin’s training is very similar to abuse.” Weiss said.

 

“What? No, no, no. Master’s training was harsh, I admit that, but it’s not like he was deliberately putting me in danger. He would never put me through something I can’t handle. I mean, even if his punishments were like that, he always stuck around to keep me from getting over my head,” Jaune waved it off with a laugh. “I know so because that time, I accidentally met an Ursa when I was being punished. It didn’t even take one minute for Master Ozpin to appear and save me from it.”

 

Jaune reached for his glass of water and downed it in one go. “So, where was I?”

 

“You were telling us about your problem.”

 

Jaune blinked, before letting his face fall to the table with a ‘thud’. “Ohhh, that...”

 

“Come on, tell us about it. We might be able to help.” The female blonde of the group coaxed.

 

“It’s not really a big problem. You don’t really have to-” the swordsman noticed that his friends were frowning and narrowing their eyes. “Fine.” Jaune grunted. “It’s just that, over these two weeks, every time I did something in class, whether it Grimm Studies, Dueling, or even in Gym, I always noticed that everybody became silent and stared at me like I was doing something stupid. I mean, I know I never went to any school till Beacon before, but is this kind of treatment normal? Am I being bullied?”

 

Everyone promptly planted their faces on the table (again, except Nora).

 

“Jaune, listen to me,” Pyrrha patted her partner’s shoulder. “You’re not being bullied. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

 

Jaune raised an eyebrow. “...Really?”

 

“Really!” Ruby exclaimed. “Jaune, In Grimm Studies, you took on a Boarbatusk barehanded, and you actually won! This school might be the best Hunter academy in the whole world, but even so, that’s really not a spectacle you expect to see from a student, much less a first year. I bet even Professor Port would have trouble doing it!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah! And in Dueling class, when Mr. Ozpin pulled some strings and pit you against three guys altogether, you beat them in less than two minutes! Even Ms. Glynda was speechless for a few moments before she gave you your evaluation!” Yang helpfully supplied.

 

“She was?”

 

“Yes, and don’t get me started on Gym class,” all eyes went to Ren. “The teacher told us to do standard push-ups, keyword here being ‘standard’. Imagine our surprise when your version of standard push-ups includes standing on your hands and balancing fifty kilos of weight-sets on your feet. Which, I have to add, you said was not heavy enough before increasing it to eighty. The guys tried to imitate you and it led to several cases of fractured bones.”

 

“...Oh.”

 

“Jaune, people here aren’t making fun of you, nor they are trying to bully you. It’s just that they have never seen something so mind-boggling that they honestly do not know how to react.”

 

Jaune spent a few moment to let it sink it. Afterwards, he let out a long, relieved sigh while smiling brightly. “So... I didn’t do anything wrong, right?”

 

“No, you didn’t,” Pyrrha answered, while suppressing the almost unbearable desire to ruffle her partner’s hair after seeing his child-like, adorable grin. “Although you sleeping in almost every morning class is another matter entirely.”

 

The blonde swordsman whined before crumpling onto the table again. “Did you have to remind me about that? I’ve been trying to fix that problem myself! You try changing the routine you’ve had for a few years! It’s not easy, I tell you!”

 

“You know, you’ve never really explained about that... ‘routine’ you used to have,” Blake questioned curiously.

 

“What is there to explain? I took part-time jobs or missions in the night. I slept in the morning since I didn’t have to go to school. Then train or study in the town library or other miscellaneous things in the afternoon. It’s not that hard to understand.”

 

“That was your problem. If you didn’t work at night, you could have gone to school,” Weiss said. “Did you need money that much? Didn’t your parents give you any?”

 

Jaune took a sandwich from his tray, answering before taking a bite, “Never had them.”

 

“...Eh?”

 

“I’m an orphan,” Jaune finished his sandwich, not looking one bit disturbed. “For as long as I remember, I never had anyone I could call family.”

 

“...I-I’m sorry,” Weiss whispered, too shocked to say anything else. “I didn’t know...”

 

“Hm? Oh, it’s no problem. After all, I have Master Ozpin,” Jaune picked up his empty tray, giving them that bright smile of his. “Even better, now I have you guys too!”

 

They watched him walk away with mixed feeling in their chests.

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: As always, tell me your opinion.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	5. Omake - Weekend

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: I need to get this out of my system. Seriously.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Omake**

**Weekend**

 

Everyone waited eagerly outside the changing room, bating their breath while trying to supress the anticipation welling in their chest. No one dared to make a sound, not even Nora, making the noise of rubbing fabric behind the curtain even more noticeable.

 

They didn’t expect something like this to happen.

 

That morning, Team JNPR and Team RWBY made a plan to go to the City of Vale for their weekend after their first week in Beacon. It was supposed to be a simple shopping trip for the girls before Nora suddenly asked the question that started it all, “Jauney, I might be wrong, but is that the only clothes you have?”

 

Jaune merely glanced at his attire, the usual black hoodie and faded jeans, before nodding. “I like things simple. So the less clothes I have, the better.”

 

Unfortunately, such a comment wasn’t acceptable for the girls, who thought that fashion to be one of the foremost quality a teenager should have, leading to their current situation. The first thirty minutes were spent by making Jaune their personal dress-up doll, as everyone had conflicted opinions about what clothes fit him the best. The poor boy could only obey silently and put on whatever sewn fabric they pushed to his hands lest he incur their wrath.

 

That was, until Yang had a bright idea. She left for a few minutes before coming back with a choice of garments that made all eyes go wide. For whatever reason, she was holding an ankle-length, frilly white dress in her right hand, and a long blonde wig in her left. “Hey, guys, look what I found!”

 

“Yang, have you gone insane?!” Weiss yelled.

 

“Oh, come on! It’ll be interesting!” Yang faced Jaune, who was looking at the dress with narrowed eyes. “So, Jaune, how about it? Think you’re good enough to put this on?”

 

In truth, she was only trying to tease the boy and perhaps getting a good laugh in the process. What she didn’t expect, is that the blonde swordsman simply approached her, observed the dress with analytic eyes, before taking off somewhere. They almost thought that the leader of Team JNPR had finally snapped and left the shop altogether, yet in only a minute, he was back, holding two items that made their eyes almost as big as tennis ball.

 

It was a bra with large cups and paddings that matched the size.

 

Exactly seven jaws were hung wide as the boy snatched the dress and wig from Yang’s hands before disappearing behind the curtain for the umpteenth time that day.

 

There was a short silence before Yang grabbed Ruby’s arm to get her attention. “Slap me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I said, slap me!” Yang turned around, eyes looking almost crazed. “I need to know that this isn’t a dream!”

 

“Why are you the one freaking out?! That’s _my_ partner over there you’re talking about!” the red haired warrior clutched at her head. “Look at what we’ve done!”

 

“I am more concerned about how nonchalant he is about it...” Blake muttered with a weird gleam in her eyes.

 

Weiss bit her lips. “Do you think we’ve finally made him go off the deep end?”

 

Pyrrha was nearly in tears. “Good Lord, please don’t let it happen. I just got him back, I can’t lose him again, not like this―Oh sweet God.”

 

Everyone followed Pyrrha’s line of sight before silence once again dominated the group when the person in question finally walked out of the changing room. However, instead of an abomination they all dreaded, the view that greeted them was of an entrancing, regal looking woman with golden locks that cascaded down her back like a golden waterfall, complete with air of utter grace and majesty that they felt like looking at a princess from a far off land.

 

“How do I look?” the person asked. “I don’t really think woman clothes suits me, but you guys _are_ more expert than me in this sort of thing.”

 

Yang suddenly fell to her knee. “This is unacceptable!” she screamed in despair, sobbing while pounding the floor. “As a fellow blonde, I can’t accept that a guy is more beautiful than me!”

 

“Whee, Jauney is so pretty!” Nora cheered. “This is so~ awesome!”

 

Pyrrha and Ruby was currently hyperventilating and overall trying to stop themselves from getting a heart attack, as they had trouble deciding whether to consider their friend as a male or a female, or both at the same time.

 

Blake had a trickle of blood trailing down her nose, while beside her, Weiss was having a breakdown, “His chest is bigger than mine!”

 

Meanwhile, Ren was banging his head on the nearest wall while muttering to himself. “That is a man. That is a man. That is a man. That is a very beautiful man―Oh my God it’s happening.”

 

Jaune looked at his friends confusedly. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Oh, Jaune, you stupid sexy thing you.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	6. Ch 5 - Origin

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: As I thought, I don’t really like using too much elaboration. I’m gonna go back to my usual style: fast paced, with subtle points. However, I will also provide explanation at the end of the chapter for those who might need it.

 

The BGM you might need for this chapter:

**\--Sadness and Sorrow (watch?v=wEWF2xh5E8s)--**

 

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Origin**

 

_It was storming, and someone was carrying him._

_“Stay with me, Jaune!” he heard someone call his name._

_“Stay with me!”_

 

...

 

Everyone looked between Weiss and Jaune alternately. They knew they had some sort of a problem, something that must have occurred between morning class and lunch time, if how Weiss refused to look at Jaune and how the boy kept glancing at her while looking like a lost puppy were any indication. They just didn’t know exactly what.

 

Dinner was eaten with a tense silence, and it was almost finished when Ruby finally couldn’t take the atmosphere anymore. “Weiss, Jaune, what’s the matter?”

 

Weiss opened her eyes for a second, throwing an icy glare at the swordsman, before looking away with a frustrated ‘hmph’. “You can ask the blonde idiot over there.” Jaune flinched, and for a fleeting moment, the whole gang could swear they saw folded ears on top of his head.

 

“B-but, Snow Angel, I didn’t know what I did wrong...!” Jaune pleaded with heart-breaking tone.

 

Weiss gritted her teeth. “You want to know what’s wrong? Go ahead, call my name.”

 

“S-Snow Angel...?”

 

“THAT’S WHAT’S WRONG!” the heiress slammed her hands on the table. “My name is Weiss Schnee. Weiss. Schnee. Not Snow Angel!”

 

“...Weiss Schnee,” Jaune looked aside, licking his lips, as if tasting the words. “Weiss Schnee. Weiss. Schnee. Schnee Weiss. Weiss Weiss. Schnee Schnee.” Team RWBY and Team JNPR all sweatdropped, while Ruby was inching herself away from her now visibly steaming partner. “I knew it, Snow Angel sounds better!”

 

“There is something wrong with your head!” the white haired girl screamed at the top of her lungs. “I told you, I don’t like that nickname! It makes me sound like a bad person!”

 

“Could have fooled me...” Yang whispered to Blake, earning a very fiery glare from said person. “Shutting up now.”

 

“Huh. That’s true, I guess. The word ‘Snow’ does make you sound cold, which can’t be farther from the truth,” Jaune pinched his chin. “Okay, how about this? I propose a compromise! Since you don’t like Snow Angel, from now on, I can just omit the ‘Snow’ part!” he looked proud as he said that, as if he had just proposed a hypothesis worthy of Nobel Prize. “So, what do you say, Angel?”

 

Both Pyrrha and Ruby noted that Weiss’s shortened nickname somehow had a much more intimate feel to it.

 

“...What did you just call me?”

 

“Oh, come on, this is already a big compromise!” Jaune returned to his seat and crossed his arms. “I will not budge from this. From this moment onward, to me, you’re Angel. Period.”

 

Jaune snorted defiantly, not noticing how Weiss’s face had gained the deep red color of Ruby’s cloak, earning the girl dirty looks from both their partners. The steam even changed source, instead of vaporizing from the top of her head, it was now coming out of her cheeks and ears.

 

“You know, Jaune, I can’t help but notice that you’re so fixated on the word ‘Angel’,” Blake opted to sate her curiosity, ignoring the streaming wave of jealousy coming out of Yang’s sister and Jaune’s partner. “Is there a reason for this?”

 

This inquiry stole everyone’s attention. They looked at the person in question, and were surprised to see him gain a faraway looks in his eyes.

 

They noticed that his blue eyes had dulled, even as he raised his cup, as if looking but not seeing. “Because they saved me. More than once.”

 

...

 

**\--Sadness and Sorrow (watch?v=wEWF2xh5E8s)--**

 

It was cold all the time. Since he didn’t have any shoes, sometimes, he had to rub his feet every few minutes just to keep them from getting frostbitten. Thankfully, since it was cold, people rarely came out of their house, so he could scrounge the trash for food more easily. Trees rarely grew fruits in winter, so if he couldn’t find food in the thrash, he would have to not eat for the day.

 

It wasn’t that easy to look for food in the trash, either, since in winter, more wild animals also looked for something to eat from the same place. So sometimes, he had to fight them, although he rarely won.

 

He found out one day, that if he prayed to the angels to shoo them, they would go away faster.

 

If there was something good about winter, it was that the village kids usually couldn’t find any rocks, since they’re buried deep in the snow, so they settled with throwing snowballs at him. It was cold, yes, but at least the snowball wasn’t as hard, so he didn’t get hurt much.

 

If he prayed to the angels, the older kids rarely followed it by beating him up.

 

In winter, he also couldn’t take a bath or wash his clothes because it took a very long time to dry. But sometimes, if he was too dirty from the dirt or the blood, he had no choice but to do it.

 

At times like that, if he prayed to the angels, they would shield him from the wind, so sometimes, it wasn’t as cold.

 

Sometimes, the kids would steal his blanket and hid them somewhere, and without it, the cold in the night would become unbearable.

 

In nights like that, if he prayed to the angels, they would keep him company and he wouldn’t have to be scared of not getting up again in the morning, since they would surely wake him up.

 

The winter night on his eighth birthday was the worst, though. The older kids found out where he lived, and they burned his cardboard home and blanket. Thankfully, he buried his family heirloom somewhere, so the kids didn’t steal or throw them away too. But he overheard that a blizzard was coming that night, and since they said Grimm had been sighted around the village that they had to call a Hunter to deal with it, he was too scared to go to that tree with big hole he usually hide in during a storm since it was too deep inside the forest. He didn’t have anywhere else to go, so he just took shelter under the bridge where he hid his family heirloom. The little boy dug them out, scraping his hands and losing some of his nails in the process, since he had no tools and no other choice but to dig with his hands. He wore the amulet and clutched the sword to his chest, silently hoping it would somehow lessen the cold, before finally letting himself fall from his exhaustion.

 

He was so tired. Tired of the cold. Tired of being hungry. Tired of being beaten and kicked around like a piece of trash.

 

That night, he didn’t pray for the angels to accompany him. Instead, he wished for them to end it all.

 

He felt the angels come, enveloping him with that small relief he yearned for. His eyes shuttered close, and with a small smile, the little boy fell asleep.

 

When he woke up, the boy found himself covered in warm clothes. Someone was carrying him through the blizzard, someone he didn’t recognize, and he realized that the person was calling his name and yelling at him to stay with him. He was too sleepy, however, too tired, and as much as he wanted to stay awake for that person, he couldn’t help but fall back asleep again.

 

The next time he woke up, he didn’t recognize where he was. The little boy was surprised to see that he was lying on a comfortable bed, covered in a warm, thick blanket. He never remembered having a home, so he didn’t exactly know, but since this place had a bed, it must have been the bedroom.

 

Something crackled on his right side, and the boy’s eyes widened as he finally saw a fireplace in the room up close. His eyes were full of wonder as he watched the flame licked the firewood almost as if it was dancing.

 

He let out a squeak when something squeezed his hand. His head whipped around, slow as it was since he felt so weak, when he saw a man with gray hair and brown eyes, wearing a dark-tinted glasses.

 

“A-ah, mister...” he said, his voice almost a whisper and scared. “I-I’m sorry... I-I don’t...”

 

“It’s okay,” the man smiled at him, and it somehow washed away all his fear. “You’re fine now.”

 

“O-okay...” he said meekly. “M-mister, can you let go of my hand? I-I’ll be fine in just a minute, after that I’ll go and get out of your sight-”

 

“You don’t have to,” the man said with a firm, yet gentle voice, keeping his grip on the small, bandaged hand. “In fact, you’re not going anywhere. From now on, you’re not getting out of my sight.”

 

“...I don’t have to go out there anymore...?” there was a long silence before the small boy asked quietly, his voice breaking.

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

“...I can stay here...?” the boys eyes were tearing up, biting his lips as if trying not to cry.

 

“You can. As long as you want.”

 

His tears was flowing freely now. “I don’t have to be cold anymore...? I don’t have to be hungry anymore...? I don’t have to be alone anymore-”

 

The man moved forward, before enveloping the boy in a hug so tight, yet so gentle. The boy didn’t know what to do for but a few seconds before he was undone. He clutched at him with all the strength his weak, small hands could muster, weeping as loud as he could on the man’s shoulder. The gray haired man brought his hand to the boy’s head, stroking it as he felt immeasurable relief flooding his heart.

 

“You’re staying with me, Jaune,” he said softly. “I swear I will take care of you.”

 

...

 

“...That day, I prayed for the angels to end it, and they did. They sent me to Master, and he taught me how delicious hot food, how warm the blanket and how comfortable the bed is. Master taught me how to ride a bike, how to make a kite, and how to catch butterflies. He taught me how to swing a sword, how to use a shield, and how to dodge an attack. He taught me how to cry, how to smile, and how to laugh,” Jaune looked down towards his cup, smiling softly. “So, you see, that’s why angels are so important to me. They shielded me from harm, woke me up from the cold night, and they brought me to someone who taught me how to live.”

 

Jaune put down his cup before glancing sideways, frowning as he did so. “Guys? What’s the matter? Why are you guys crying like that?”

 

...

 

Glynda couldn’t help but notice how her eyes had become hot all of a sudden. “That... is quite the story...”

 

“It is, isn’t it?” the figure standing before the window said before taking a sip from his cup.

 

“But, if he’s that important to you... why did you put him through a training like that?”

 

The grey haired man did not answer as he walked and sat down on the other end of the sofa. “Would you believe me if I said it was all to make him disobey me?”

 

Glynda frowned, but said nothing because she knew that the Headmaster wasn’t finished yet. “...Even after I told him that I would take care of him, I remember he spent days looking at me as if he expected to be thrown out at any moment. I remember how much time he spent asking me if it was okay to eat the food I made for him, so long in fact that I had to reheat it for him and made him even guiltier for causing me to do that. It was as if he didn’t know what to do when someone showed him any form of kindness, as if he thought of himself as nothing more than a piece of garbage who didn’t deserve to be cared or loved.”

 

“My decision to train him was made after one particular day when he accidentally dropped a plate while helping me wash the dishes. I was still trying to get him to smile more often and I still didn’t understand how completely he took my words, so I made a joke that I should make him spend the night in the forest for breaking a plate,” the man looked down. “I made a mistake that almost left me in regret forever.” In that second, self-loathing shone from his brown eyes. “I went out to buy grocery shortly afterwards, and when I came home, Jaune was nowhere to be seen.”

 

“...He actually went?” Glynda couldn’t keep the horror from her voice.

 

He nodded. “I remember how I cursed myself non-stop even as I searched for him in Forever Fall. It was not until nightfall when I found him, chased by an Ursa and almost died from my stupidity.” Ozpin ran a gloved hand through his tousled hair in frustration. “I felt so horrible that day, even more so when I noticed that Jaune was actually _surprised_ when I saved him. He seriously thought that he deserved to be punished like that, for something so small like breaking a bloody plate!” he slammed a fist on his thigh, teeth gritted and the other hand clenching his hair. “God, I never thought of myself as an idiot more than I did that day...”

 

Glynda inched closer to the man and put her hand on top of his, trying her best to give him even the slightest of comfort. “It’s okay. You simply didn’t know.”

 

“It was not just that!” Ozpin stood up, anger at himself visible from his every feature. “Even after I took him under my wings, I still failed to change him! I made him stronger, but I never could make him better! I want him to think that his world is not made up of my words alone, that there is still so much for him to live for other than trying to live up to my expectation! When I told him to unlock his Aura by pitting him against an Ursa, I merely tried to teach him about self-preservation, thinking it would scare him enough so he could recognize that some things are just too much! But he just gritted his teeth and obeyed as if he could not live with not completing my order! When I gave him that survival training, I was trying to get him to actually refuse my order! Yet after complaining a little, he just left, quietly trying his best so he didn’t disappoint me!”

 

“I even sent him away to live alone so he could interact with other people, yet the only thing he did in his free time was training and spending time alone in public library! I tried making him take missions with other Hunters, but every time a problem happened, he would always blame himself even though he did nothing wrong before distancing himself! I tried to explain it to him, by God I tried, yet he only laughed it off and said that he did not need all that as he was satisfied enough to live like that! I never succeeded in making him understand that I just want him to have a life, an actual life with friends and perhaps even a lover, and not just live like a puppet!”

 

He panted, as Glynda noted that this was the first time she saw the implacable man lose his composure. She watched him fall back onto the sofa, and was surprised to find tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

“Ozpin...” she took his hand again, not knowing what else she could do.

 

“He was so broken, Glynda...” he quietly sobbed. “Broken from the pain and loneliness he had to endure when he was no more than a small child. And he spent years suffering like that!” he screamed in the silence of his office. “I should have looked harder! I should not have believed them when they said he had died with his parents! I put him through that! The loneliness, the abuse, the neglect he had to bear was all caused by my incompetence!”

 

In a brief moment of impulsiveness, Glynda put her arms around the man, bringing his face to her chest as she put her chin atop his tousled gray hair. She let him cry for a while, not minding even a bit as the sob-wrecked man slung his arms around her hips, choosing to silently stroke his hair to give him the comfort he sorely needed. 

 

“You really love him, don’t you...?” she asked with a whisper.

 

“I do. God, I really do...” he answered. “I don’t care if different blood flows in our veins... from the moment I found him in that storm, he is my boy. My little, dear boy.”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Okay, before I give you the explanation I promised, let me get some tissue for my eyes and a cigarette first.

 

First, remember what Ozpin said about ‘the mistakes he’s done’ in episode 10? Yeah, I made those mistakes related to what he did to Jaune, how he failed to change him for the better no matter what he did, and how it ate away at the man for years.

 

Second, do you know what makes Ozpin a great enough teacher that he became Beacon’s Headmaster? He learned from his mistakes with Jaune.

 

Why did Ozpin never stop Jaune from doing those training again even though he made it clear that he made him do it for other reasons? Because he was scared that if he did so, Jaune would take it as a sign of disappointment, and it would further break the boy as a person.

 

Lastly, how did Jaune get so overpowered? Because he was broken in the first place, and when his Master gave him a purpose (though Ozpin did not actually intent to do so), Jaune, the boy who had nothing else to live for until that moment, subconsciously made it his life goal.

 

Well, that’s all I can tell you for now without spoiling the plot. Hopefully, it can sate your curiosity.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	7. Ch 6 - Festival

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: I’m beginning to think that the this fic is somewhat of an emotions roller-coaster. Seriously, I didn’t expect such strong reactions from you guys. I really thought I was the only one who would consider the last chapter to be that sad.

 

Thankfully, though, this chapter is a bit more lighthearted. Here are the BGM you might need:

**\--Silky Love – (/watch?v=m7gssPr-fq0)—**

**\--Taiyou Iwaku Moeyo Chaos – (/watch?v=fAtPxVeZXvo)—**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Festival**

 

The months following that dinner had been... confusing, to say the least. After the recollection of his childhood, his friends seemed to refuse to leave him alone, be it for major things like class where they would always seek to sit beside him or at least where he was within arm’s reach, or the small things like going for a jog, laundry, and even going to the library. It was as if they were scared to let him out of their sight, and while Jaune had no problem with the whole treatment, it did baffle him to no end.

 

What he meant to say is, what made them to change their behavior so much? He did remember telling them about his childhood, but it wasn’t like it was particularly interesting or anything, so why did they now seemed to look at him as if he was about to break the moment they looked away from him?

 

Not to say he was unhappy about it, of course. After all, it meant that they had more time to bond as friends, as his teammates and even the members of Team RWBY became more open about their feelings with him. They would tell him their stories, experiences that greatly helped Jaune to understand the way the world worked. He was a bit surprised to know that he had been quite ignorant of what was seemed to be common sense. He finally found out why so many confectionary shops began selling intricately designed chocolates on 14 February, the meaning of ‘showing off’ which had always escaped him, and so much else.

 

All in all, it was a great chance to know more about them as individuals, and as his Master said, the more he knew about his team, the easier it would be to earn their trust. He was their leader, after all, and he wasn’t about to take his responsibilities lightly.

 

He still had much to learn, however, if his current situation was an indication.

 

**\--Silky Love – (/watch?v=m7gssPr-fq0)--**

 

“Jauney, you are not allowed to do part-time jobs while there is a festival in town!”

 

“I’m not?” he tilted his head in confusion. “But what if the police need extra hands? I’ve always worked as a security when Vytal Festival is in motion, so why can’t I do it this time?”

 

“Jaune, you’re a student now, okay? Not only our school forbids its students to have part-time jobs, we’ve been working hard for these past few months! Don’t you know how to take a break and just have fun?” Yang asked.

 

“Yang, did you forget who we’re talking to here?” Weiss inquired with a shake of her head. “His idea of having fun is probably something like sleeping for the whole day.”

 

“Oh, come on, Weiss. It couldn’t have been that bad...” Ruby looked at the boy, followed by their other friends, only to see the blonde swordsman sporting a sheepish smile. “Could it?”

 

“What can I say? Sleeping is very relaxing, you know? Besides, if I had the entire day just to sleep, I would be more functional for my job in the evening!”

 

Everyone sighed as one. “Okay, that’s it!” Yang shouted. “You, sir, are going to learn how to have fun! Properly!”

 

All six people (excluding Jaune) diverted their gazes towards the female blonde, all of them had one of their eyebrows raised.

 

“And what is your idea of _properly_ having fun, my dear sister?” Ruby narrowed her eyes.

 

Somehow, she felt like if something bad was about to happen if she answered wrong, but Yang just shrugged it off before laying out her plan. “Okay, first, I can get my one of old friends from Signal with just a few calls. I’m sure they won’t refuse if I say I’m gonna bring a cute guy. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get the beautiful one. Afterwards, I dunno, maybe something good will happen?”

 

Yang just realized that both Ruby and Pyrrha had grabbed the swordsman arms each as they pulled him away from her. Meanwhile, Weiss moved in front of Yang before crossing her arms, with a very displeased look on her face. “Did you just suggest we get a girl, a random girl, to have a date with Jaune?”

 

Yang gulped. “Umm, yes?”

 

Weiss took a few steps back before pinching Jaune’s cheek as if trying to make a point. “This Jaune? This clueless, ignorant guy who doesn’t even have an idea what Valentine Day is?”

 

“Are to trying to corrupt _our_ innocent Jaune?” Ruby hissed, holding onto the boy’s arm almost possessively.

 

 _‘Okay, this is getting ridiculous.’_ Yang sweatdropped. “Girls, he’s seventeen! Surely he knows a thing or two about wooing a girl!”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Weiss turned to face the clearly confused boy. “Jaune, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘date’?”

 

His answer came as expected. “Day on the calendar?”

 

Weiss whirled back to Yang, smiling smugly. “See?”

 

“This is unbelievable!” Ruby’s older sister threw up her hands. “How can a guy be seventeen years old and not have even a single clue about what a date is?!”

 

“I think we’re getting off topic here,” Blake interrupted. “Weren’t we trying to decide about what to do to teach him how to have fun?”

 

“Well, clearly Yang is not the person to go to for this kind of occasion,” Weiss said while ignoring the bristling blonde. “Does anyone have a better idea?”

 

“How about we take him to an ice cream stand?!” Nora suggested cheerfully. “Everyone loves ice cream!”

 

It only took a moment for everyone to think about it. “That... is actually a pretty good idea.”

 

...

 

Weiss would find out later how it wasn’t actually a pretty good idea. In fact, she was beginning to think that it was a _very bad_ idea as she held onto the taller boy’s waist, trying to stop him from going back to the stand for the fifth time.

 

“Stop it already, you stupid boy!” she chastised him. “Eating that much ice cream is not good for you!”

 

“But it’s so delicious!” he said while struggling to escape the heiress’s clutch. “Please, just one more helping! I promise I will only get three scoops this time!”

 

“You already had ten scoops of that thing!” she yelled back, noticing that the only thing stopping him was her reasoning, as he was strong enough to actually drag her with him if he so wanted. “I don’t even understand how you’re not having a stomachache right now!”

 

“Come on, Weiss, just let him have his ice cream,” Ruby tried to coax the white haired girl.

 

“She’s right. He already had ten scoops, just three more wouldn’t hurt.” Pyrrha chimed in.

 

“Be quiet, you two! You’re spoiling him!” she glared at them.

 

Blake watched the scene while trying to suppress a laugh, something that both Yang and Nora had failed to do, noting with interest how Weiss was acting like a worrywart, strict mother while both Ruby and Pyrrha seemed to be the kind of moms that’d spoil their kids rotten if they had their way.

 

Something about Jaune must have tickled their maternal instincts. She couldn’t really blame them, though. While the blonde swordsman was a bit of a badass in a fight, not to mention a brilliant strategist considering his team’s rate of success in team-to-team engagements, he did seem to revert to a child when dealing with common stuff or something that piqued his interest such as this. Even Blake had to admit that she sometimes felt a strong compulsion to ruffle his hair whenever she saw that bright, childish smile of his.

 

Then she heard him make a pitiful whine.

 

Blake walked to until she was standing in front of the boy. It took only one flick to the nose to stop him from struggling. “Jaune, if you stop this now, we promise we will take you to eat ice cream again tomorrow.”

 

Jaune looked down to the shorter girl, pouting. “...Really?”

 

“Really.” she said, unconsciously bringing her hand up to pat the boy’s head.

 

Jaune looked conflicted for a few moments longer before giving her a very, very sweet smile. “Okay!”

 

“...Good. Now, for the next order of business,” she looked to her other friends. “Can someone tell me where I can find a medical shop? I need a big dose of insulin. Like right this instant.”

 

...

 

They were heading towards the dock after Weiss said something welcoming the students from Vacuo when Ruby diverted their attention towards a shop with police signs all over the place.

 

“What happened here?” Ruby was the first one to ask.

 

“Robbery, the second shop to be hit this week.”

 

“Second?”

 

“Yes, second, didn’t you listen to what I said?” the somewhat irritated police officer replied, only to look surprised when he saw who had asked the question. “Hey, Arc, long time no see! Where have you been?!”

 

“It’s only a few months,” Jaune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Master got me into Beacon, so I’m sorry I couldn’t help with the night patrols as much as I used to.”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it, kid. I admit you were a big help back then, but then again, I am glad you finally have something to do other than doing boring patrols with us.”

 

“You know him?” Pyrrha asked incredulously.

 

The younger police officer smiled. “Yeah, the guy had been helping us for years. In fact, some of the arrests we made were only possible due to him helping.”

 

“You’re giving me too much credit and you know it,” Jaune waved it off, laughing with the older man.

 

“I’m still having trouble believing he’s been involved with the police force.” Pyrrha said, not without a bit of wonder in her voice.

 

“Yeah, it’s a bit hard to believe, isn’t it?” the younger police remarked with a smile. “He might be just an awkward boy when we first met him, but everyone likes him for some reason.” The officer looked at the younger man with what seemed to be fondness in his eyes. “The kid even took a bullet for me once. It’s kinda hard not to like someone who can disregard his own wellbeing to save others like that, yet asks for nothing in return.”

 

Pyrrha watched him walk back to his partner, joining their laugh, before diverting her attention back towards her own partner. Sometimes, it just baffled her how every time she found out more about the swordsman, it always managed to increase her respect a few notches for her leader. He seemed to just have that kind of effects on people, she guessed.

 

Meanwhile, said boy finally stopped laughing, directing his gaze back towards the wrecked shop with a serious look on his face. “Anyway, has this really happened before?”

 

“And with the same modus operandi, no less,” the bearded officer followed Jaune’s line of sight. “They broke in, grabbed the Dust, and bailed out. Didn’t even touch the Lien.” He shook his head. “Yeah, it just didn’t make a lot of sense. Who needs that much Dust?”

 

“I don’t know. An army?”

 

“You think it might be uh... White Fang?”

 

The younger officer took off his sunglasses. “Yeah, I’m thinking we don’t get paid enough.”

 

At this point, Jaune had already fallen into deep thinking. What concerned him wasn’t how or where it happened, but the fact that this was the second time somehow rubbed him the wrong way. His Master must have known something about this, so why didn’t he tell him anything? He knew Jaune had been involved in the city’s security for years now, his status as part-timer notwithstanding, so why keep it a secret from him?

 

His musing was broken when someone yelled from the dock’s direction.

 

“Hey, stop that Faunus!”

 

When he saw the aforementioned Faunus, Jaune couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. “Oh God, not again...”

 

**\--Taiyou Iwaku Moeyo Chaos – (/watch?v=fAtPxVeZXvo)--**

 

The blonde monkey Faunus passed the group while escaping from the two officers, noticing that one of them had the scent of a cat before taking a moment to look at her and giving the black haired girl a wink. He didn’t realize that an elbow was waiting in front of him, before it bashed his temple hard enough that his eyes were swimming.

 

The swordsman, owner of aforementioned elbow, picked up the blonde Faunus with one hand, putting him into a headlock with the other as he addressed the two law enforcers. “It’s okay, officers, I’ve got this under control.”

 

“You sure?” the bearded man asked, a bit skeptically.

 

Jaune nodded. “Don’t worry, I will take full responsibility and make sure to send him back.”

 

Jaune’s assurance seemed to be enough for the two officers, who just walked away after telling him to keep an eye on the monkey. Jaune waved goodbye at them, looking down only when he felt tapping on his arm.

 

“...Breathe...” the boy with monkey tail pleaded, his face turning blue. “I need to breathe...”

 

Jaune loosened his arm a little bit, letting the other male blonde to finally inhale some precious air while still effectively trapping him, before speaking with a disappointed tone. “How many times does this make, Sun? Two? Three?”

 

“It’s the fifth time, actually,” the one Jaune called Sun answered with a weak voice. “Although, the third time might not count since I was too scared to come out of the ship when I saw you waiting on the dock.”

 

Jaune merely sighed. “So what brings you to Vale this time around? And think about your answer for a moment because I swear I will strangle you if you say it’s to steal a souvenir again.”

 

“Dude, that was only one time! And you caught me right afterwards so the point is moot!” he tried to pry the arm away from his neck. Unfortunately, the swordsman grip was too strong. “I’m only here to enjoy the festival and participate in the tournament! Honest!”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Jaune released the other boy. “Good, then. I am almost afraid I have to send you back in a crate again.”

 

The blonde Faunus groaned as he picked himself from the ground. “Ugh, you don’t need to remind me. That was the worst two days of my life.”

 

“Ah, I almost forgot,” he turned around. “Guys, this is Sun. Sun, these are my friends.”

 

“Friends? So the blonde idiot finally manage to-” he couldn’t finish because Jaune already whacked his head.

 

“Do you want me to do what I did to you last time?”

 

In one second, Sun was on his knees. “I’m sorry. Really, really sorry. So, please, don’t put me through me that again!”

 

“...Okay, now you’re just overreacting. The only things I did were tie you up on a chair while eating bananas in front of you.”

 

“It was pure torture!”

 

Jaune sighed again. “Alright, alright, I get it. It was a bit cruel on my part, but you don’t have to cry like that. As long as you behave, I won’t do it again.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. Let’s stop there for a second,” Weiss was the first one to break out of the shock-induced silence. “Jaune, who is this rascal?”

 

When he heard the question, Sun whirled with a flair. “Greetings, ladies! The name’s Sun Wukong, extraordinaire Hunter-in-training and a stunning lady-killer! It’s nice to meet you!”

 

“You forgot chronic kleptomaniac.”

 

“Shut up, Arc! I’m trying to make a good impression here!”

 

“Then why didn’t you just buy a bloody ticket and get here the proper way instead of stowing away in a cargo ship?”

 

“It’s more fun that way! The thrill, the tension, the excitement of sneaking around while trying not to be found, there’s nothing that can match it!”

 

“...You are a monkey with a sick taste.” Jaune shook his head before turning back to his gang. “Guys, why are you not saying anything? He’s already introduced himself, you know?”

 

This time, everyone snapped from their stunned silence and began stuttering their names.

 

Sun Wukong observed the gang, noting that every single one of the females was of the higher rate of quality. He whistled, “Whoa, Arc, in the few months I didn’t see you, you’ve gone from a guy with social disability into a harem king.”

 

“Hey, don’t call him that!” Pyrrha bristled.

 

“Well, sorry for being rude, but you have to admit that he’s really lacking in social knowledge,” Sun shrugged. “I mean, the first time I met him, he didn’t even know what it means to get laid. Sure I don’t have any experience on that department as well, but you’d think he at least grasped the meaning.”

 

“You don’t know the half of it,” Yang chimed in. “We still don’t understand how a guy can be so dense.”

 

Jaune approached Ren. “I might be missing something here, but are they making fun of me?”

 

Ren only patted his leader’s shoulder. “I’ve got one sentence for you that I’ve been telling myself as well: just roll with it, Jaune. Just roll with it.”

 

“Jaune, I have a question,” Ruby raised her hand. “Just need to clarify, this is not the first time you’ve met this guy, right?”

 

The blonde swordsman nodded. “Well, this situation’s happened quite a few times before, and I’ve always been the guy who’s responsible for sending him back, both forcefully and peacefully.”

 

“Peacefully?” Sun glared at Jaune. “You shoved a chloroform-soaked rag into my face, tied me up, before deporting me in a crate! I almost got shipped to a whole different continent altogether because of you!”

 

“Eh, the less chance you have to escape, the better. It’s also much more preferable than the forceful method. The last time I actually did take you on, we kinda broke half of the police station.”

 

“That was because one of the officers accidentally gave me an alcoholic drink!”

 

“Irrelevant. The point is, taking you down is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and a repeat performance is very detrimental to the whole collateral damage rate,” Jaune crossed his arms. “That’s why I’m telling you this now, if I ever have to apprehend you again, I’m going to skip the whole procedure and just hit you with a car.”

 

“...You’re a fucking demon.” Sun deadpanned.

 

Jaune frowned. “You know, there’s a station just right around the corner. I can get the police to lend me one of their cars right now, if that’s what you want.”

 

Once again, Sun was on his knees. “Forgive me! I was just kidding! Please, I still have so much to live for!”

 

Jaune sighed again for the umpteenth time. “Look, let’s just deal with this mess for now. You said you want to stay for the festival and the tournament, but have you thought about accommodations?”

 

Sun pondered for a while before paling a little. “...Shit. I don’t bring that much money.”

 

It prompted Jaune to slap his forehead while groaning.

 

“What is wrong with you? You came to another kingdom altogether without even preparing for the expenses?” Weiss asked in disbelief.

 

“It’s not intentional, okay?! I actually planned to go today, but then I heard that a cargo ship was leaving for Vale two days ago! It was an honest impulse!”

 

“Fine,” Jaune threw up his hands. “I promised the officers I will take responsibility, so I guess I can lend you some Lien to pay for your hotel fees for now.”

 

“Whoa, dude. That’s... really generous of you,” Sun looked a bit taken aback. “You sure about this?”

 

Jaune nodded. “Considering the alternative, which involves you somehow pulling another heist of some sort, this is clearly the better option.” Jaune looked back towards his friends. “Alright, guys, I need to find this guy a place to stay. I’ll meet you back at Beacon.”

 

Pyrrha grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie. “Jaune, are you sure? Should we accompany you?”

 

“Eh, no need,” he smiled in response. “I don’t want you to waste the time you can spend exploring the festival. Besides, I’m pretty sure I can handle whatever mishap this guy may or may not do,” he grabbed the scruff of Sun’s collar. “Let’s get going, you monkey. I want this done before nightfall.”

 

They watched them walk away, Sun waving at them with a goofy grin while being dragged by the blonde swordsman. The gang spent some more time without saying anything before Yang finally broke the silence.

 

“Well, that was a thing.”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: A long puff of cigarette is always a good way to relax after you finish a chapter. Add a cup of hot coffee, and it is perfect.

 

So, what is your opinion on the chapter? Is it good? Is it bad? I need to know.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	8. Ch 7 - Confrontation

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: Nothing much to say here, just one thing: _it gets serious._

 

In order to fully enjoy the chapter, you will need this as BGM. I seriously recommend it.

**\--Disturbed – The Night (/watch?v=UBv9TUQUDy0)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Confrontation**

 

Jaune remain hunched over a trashcan for a few more minutes before finally managing to straighten himself. The trip back to Beacon had been hellish, to say the least, especially since he had been without companion and no one to distract him from the damned airsickness. He gulped the night air a few times, trying to ignore the foul taste in his mouth and yet still failing to banish the bloody vertigo.

 

The search for Sun’s accommodation had been quite a long and arduous task. The monkey Faunus had felt bad about him paying for the whole thing, and suggested they just find a cheap hotel. Jaune had not been able to accept, however, for even if the blonde foreigner had been a source of trouble for him in the past, he refused to let him sleep in a rundown apartment or under-average lodging. His Master had taught him to treat others well, and to always do so unless the person in question gave him reasons to do otherwise.

 

After a long argument and hours of looking around, Sun finally relented and just let the swordsman check him in a decent hotel after making a deal with him. He would let Jaune pay the fee if only he allowed him to pay back after the tournament, where he hopefully would be able to get some money as a winning prize. Jaune had nodded after thinking about it for some time, thinking that the simplest way to end their argument was to just accept even though he would be okay if the foreigner didn’t offer to pay him back.

 

It would be a few minutes standing near the trashcan in fear of sickness taking its devilish hold on him again before Jaune determined that he was able enough to start walking. As he started the trek back to the Academy, Jaune noted with disinterest how the students that were in the last flight to Beacon with him were already gone. The last descendant of Arc Clan was about to make his way to the Dormitory when he noticed that the light in Headmaster’s Office was still on. It didn’t take long for him to decide what to do, considering what he found out during the day and the questions he needed to be answered.

 

...

 

Ozpin had just finished the last paperwork he had to do when someone knocked the door to his office. Thinking that it was a tattletale sign of more work to be done, the grey haired man could only groan in misery. He had been working for the whole bloody day, for Dust’s sake, couldn’t he have some time to just catch a break, to drink a cup of coffee or something?

 

However, as he waited for a bit, the door was yet to be opened. It made him look towards the door, frowning as he did so because the only ones who usually came at this time of the night were Glynda and Oobleck, and both of them usually just entered after knocking.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“It’s me, Master,” the voice of a blonde swordsman was audible from behind the wooden door. “Can I come in?”

 

“Jaune?” his beloved apprentice’s voice somehow made the man’s mood brighten considerably as he stood up from the seat. “Well, what are you waiting for? You know my door’s always open for you.”

 

The swordsman entered Ozpin’s office with a sheepish look as if he was intruding, but it was quickly brushed away by the pleasant smile on his Master’s face as he ushered him to the sofa before walking somewhere.

 

“How do you want your coffee?” Jaune heard a question.

 

“Black, please,” he replied without even having to think. He might have somewhat of a sweet tooth, but it never changed his preference when it comes to the bitter, earthy liquid. After all, black coffee was one of the first drinks his Master had introduced to him, and it had been his favorite beverage ever since.

 

Ozpin returned with two steaming cups. Jaune eyes widened when he received his drink. “Isn’t this my old mug?”

 

His Master threw him a smile while taking a seat across the table. “Well, I always thought that if we’re ever going to have a talk over a drink, we better use something familiar.” He saw the boy flinch a little. “That’s why you come to me, isn’t it? To talk?”

 

“How come you’re always able to read my intention?” Jaune asked in amusement and embarrassment combined.

 

“I’ve known you for years, dear apprentice. You rarely do things without some kind of purpose,” Ozpin replied. “Besides, it’s late. So, unless your teammates kicked you out of your shared room, you must have come here to talk.”

 

Silence ensued as Ozpin waited patiently for his apprentice to form his words while sipping his coffee. It wasn’t until after the third sips when the boy finally decided to voice his concern. “Master, today I found out that there’s been two robberies in the city. I-”

 

Ozpin quickly raised his hand, a common gesture when he wanted Jaune to be quiet as evidenced by his abrupt silence. “You want to know why I never mentioned it to you, am I wrong?”

 

After Jaune quietly nodded, Ozpin put his cup on the table before intertwining his fingers. “Before I answer your question, I want to ask you first,” he leaned forward. “What are you now, Jaune?”

 

“Eh?” Jaune looked confused.

 

“Right now, in this place, what are you?” Ozpin elaborated.

 

“...Umm,” the blonde pondered a bit more before answering unsurely. “I’m a... a student?”

 

“That’s right.” Ozpin gave his sole apprentice a pointed stare. “And what is your duty as a student in Beacon?”

 

Jaune’s eyed widened when he realized what the point of the question was. “My duty is to learn, study, and train to become a Hunter.”

 

Ozpin made a satisfied nod. “Correct. You are no longer required to deal with whatever problem the law enforcers of the City of Vale have in their hands. You have your own responsibilities now. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew.”

 

While his Master’s tone was gentle, Jaune knew that he was being scolded, causing him to look down. The change in demeanor did not escape the Headmaster’s eyes. “Jaune, listen to me. I didn’t tell you merely because there is no need to. Despite whatever you might have heard, the incidents produced neither casualty nor excessive damage. You don’t need to worry too much, I’m sure the police force will be able to apprehend the culprits in no time.”

 

Hearing the man’s assurance, Jaune felt like some weight had been lifted from his chest, allowing him to exhale a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Master. I really needed to hear that.”

 

“Happy to help,” Ozpin picked up his cup again as he leaned back on the sofa. “On another note, you knowing that means that you’ve been to Vale today. Anything interesting I should know about?”

 

“Oh, yeah, that’s right!” Jaune brightened up considerably. “The guys have been teaching me how to have fun!”

 

“Really?” Ozpin leaned forward again. Now this he really needed to hear. “What did you do?”

 

“They took me to an ice cream stand! It was so delicious that I-” Jaune stopped when he saw his Master fall from his seat. “Master?”

 

“Ahh, I’m okay, I’m okay. Continue.” truthfully, Ozpin was internally cursing himself as he picked himself from the floor. He had been trying to think of a way to get Jaune even a bit loosened up for years now, and his friends had achieved that so easily, by taking him to an ice cream stand?! How come he never got that idea?! Oh how he wished to just excuse himself and bang his head against a wall right now. He couldn’t believe he had just been outdone by kids half his age!

 

Then again, it proved that making Jaune go to Beacon wasn’t a wrong choice, after all. It was a small step, yes, but at the very least, it made Jaune happy. And to him, that was what mattered the most.

 

“If you say so,” Jaune was quick to change mood again. “Anyways, I was saying that the ice cream was so delicious I had ten scoops! Weiss even had to keep me from going for more! And they promised to take me there again tomorrow!” a twinkle appeared on the boy’s blue orbs as if he had just gotten a good idea. “I know! Master, tomorrow is your day off, right?! How about you come with us?!”

 

Despite Jaune’s excitement that almost made him say yes, Ozpin shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jaune. I can’t.”

 

The boy visible deflated, almost like a puppy who had just been told that his owner couldn’t take him for a walk. “...Why?”

 

It actually took some effort for Ozpin not to change his mind right then and there. “I have to take care of some business.”

 

“Business?” the Beacon’s Headmaster had to breathe deeply when disappointment became visible from Jaune’s every features and he threw him a wide-eyed look. By Gods, Ozpin had to actually exert himself not to relent. He almost never refused Jaune’s wishes, so he never realized just how powerful Jaune’s puppy eyes against one’s willpower were. “Can I come?”

 

“Y-you don’t have to. I only have to go to the airport to meet some old acquaintances, nothing too important,” he needed to end this now, or what willpower he gathered would be crushed under the boy’s pitiful gaze. “How about I take you there next time? It’s not like the stand’s going to go away.”

 

Jaune looked at his Master a bit more before nodding, not noticing that he almost caused the gray haired man to hyperventilate. “Well, I guess that was it,” the boy finished his coffee before standing up. “It’s always nice talking to you, Master Ozpin.”

 

“Likewise.”

 

The man walked him to the door, giving the blonde boy one last smile. The moment the door was closed, he let out a long sigh. Ozpin walked to the table to pick up his cup, noticing that there only was a little bit of coffee left, before walking towards the window.

 

A few minutes passed till he saw his dear apprentice walked out of the building and towards the Dormitory. “Sorry I can’t take you, Jaune...” he whispered quietly. Ozpin’s hand gripped his cane a bit more tightly.

 

“This is a bit too personal, after all...”

 

~•~

 

Tomorrow found Jaune wandering the town all by himself, eyes looking everywhere for the tattletale sign of a familiar black bow. That morning, he had found out that after he left the group, Weiss and Blake had an argument that escalated until Blake escaped the dorm and hadn’t been back since. Jaune didn’t know exactly why, as the three members of Team RWBY refused to disclose the detail of what was said, but considering how upset they all looked, he could only conclude that it must have been big.

 

However, it had been almost ten hours since they started looking, but the girl with black bow was still nowhere to be seen. They even agreed to split up as to widen the area of search, but the lack of result convinced Jaune that Blake was actively avoiding them. He may not know the true extent of her abilities, but he could at least tell that she was very good at stealth.

 

He was about to turn around a corner when he heard a familiar voice.

 

“So what’s the plan now?”

 

Whether or not it was caused by instinct, Jaune quickly trekked back before hiding himself from view.

 

“I still don’t believe White Fang is behind these robberies.” Jaune silently pumped up his fist. Bingo. “They never needed that much Dust before.”

 

“What if they did?” Jaune was already taking out his Scroll, ready to contact both his teammates and Team RWBY. “I mean, the only way to prove they didn’t do it... is to go to the place they would most likely go to if they were to do it... and not find them there! Right?”

“The only thing is, I have no idea where that would be.”

 

Jaune paused. _‘Okay, what the hell are they talking about?’_

 

“Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas.”

 

“How huge?”

 

“Huge. Big Schnee Company freighter.”

 

“You sure?”

 

Meanwhile, the blonde swordsman pondered about what he had just heard. There were three things that seemed to be the keywords here. White Fang, robbery, and finally Schnee Company’s Dust shipment. Long years of working alongside the police force in both patrols and even some of their investigations had caused Jaune to pick up some detective skills, and while it was not much, it was apparently enough for him to connect the dots and conclude that this was definitely not something people their age would usually talk about. Hell, just the words ‘White Fang’ alone could have indicated that.

 

Jaune looked at his Scroll, index finger hovering just over the Send button, before he changed his mind and pressed Cancel. He had a feeling this was something private for his black haired friend, that it was something she personally had a stake in and wanted no one else to know.

 

He still would watch over them, though, in case something happened. And if it was something bad...

 

“Well, there’s no point in worrying about it too much,” he pocketed his Scroll as he made sure to keep Blake and Sun in his peripheral vision. “I can just deal with it when it happens.”

 

~•~

 

**\--Disturbed – The Night (/watch?v=UBv9TUQUDy0)--**

 

“...Okay,” Jaune said as he saw Blake sneak behind the man with bright orange hair before putting her blade against his neck. “That escalated quickly.”

 

He took out his Scroll and typed a simple voice message, “Found Blake. Southeast dock. Big trouble confirmed. Come quick.”

 

He had just pressed the Send button when he realized that the security guys who were supposed to guard the shipment were nowhere in sight, despite the very obvious and large Bullhead that flew over just minutes ago. He peeked out of his hiding, only to see said security being attacked by people wearing the same outfits as the ones that came with the orange haired man. His eyes went wider when he saw two more trucks carrying an even larger number of White Fang’s members arrived.

 

An explosion sounded from his right side, and he glanced just quick enough to see Blake being flung backwards. He alternated looks between his newly-revealed-to-be-Faunus friend and the people being overwhelmed, their enemies outnumbered them three to one.

 

The choice was obvious.

 

Jaune threw an apologetic smile at his cat-eared friend, uttering a quiet and inaudible whisper. “You just hang on, Blake...” he brandished his weapon, sword on the right and shield on the left, as he gazed towards the other direction. “I’ll try to finish this as quickly as possible...”

 

He leapt out of his hiding, Crocea Mors raised and eager, ready to wage battle.

 

...

 

Sun couldn’t believe this guy. Not only he was able to fend off Blake’s absurdly quick attacks, he also managed to block each shot from his newly upgraded weapon! At point blank, even! He had been throwing his best effort at the man and yet he didn’t even look fazed! Damn it, this was just like Arc all over again!

 

Sun was able to sigh in relief when Blake quick intervention finally managed to land one more hit on the criminal, not quite able to believe himself to continue the barrage without taking some risk. His relief was short-lived, however, when the man shot something out of his cane.

 

He heard an explosion and his reflex kicked in. He leapt forward, barely managing to avoid being squashed under a steel container, only to look up and face the cane’s barrel pointing to his face. “...Shit.”

 

He brought up his hand as a bright red light engulfed his sight and forced the monkey Faunus to clench his eyes shut. A deafening explosion filled his hearing, yet somehow, he didn’t feel any pain. His eyes opened again, and him being surprised was an understatement when he saw a blonde guy wearing faded jeans and black hoodie was standing right in front of him.

 

“One day, Sun!” he recognized the familiar voice. “I left you alone for one day, and look at the mess you’ve gotten into!”

 

“Arc!” Sun called out while picking himself up. “Holy shit, dude, I’d never thought I would be so relieved to see you!”

 

“And I’d never thought I would be saving your hairy, thieving ass,” Jaune shot back, though not without some measure of amusement in his voice. “Although you did do a good job keeping Blake safe, so I guess we’re even.”

 

“Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don’t you think you’re forgetting someone here?” the orange haired man drew their attention, his cane’s barrel still pointed at them. “I’m hurt.”

 

He took another shot, which again exploded against Jaune’s raised shield without much visible effect, although it did send the blonde swordsman skidding a couple of feet backwards.

 

“Ha!” Sun patted the swordsman’s shoulder, grinning smugly towards the now frowning criminal. “Not so pompous when you meet someone who can easily block your attacks, now aren’t you?!”

 

“You insufferable little bastards...” he gritted his teeth. “And where are the rest of those animals?!”

 

“Oh, you mean those guys?” Jaune slightly inclined his head sideways. The orange haired man’s eyes followed the gesture, only to find throngs of his minions sprawled on the ground far away from where he currently stood.

 

He groaned. “This is turning to be another waste of money,” he glared at the two younger boys, his green eyes shining dangerously. “Just for that, I’ll make sure your deaths are as slow and painful as possible.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, you and what army?!”

 

He merely smiled maniacally as three more Bullhead airships appeared overhead.

 

“Sun...” Jaune hissed as he saw more groups of enemies jumped down from the planes. “Please remind me to stitch your mouth shut when all of this is over.”

 

“Sun! Are you okay?!” they heard Blake’s voice as the girl joined them again. “Wait a minute... Jaune?! What are you doing here?!”

 

“Later, Blake,” he watched as the White Fang’s members began surrounding them. “Can’t you see we’re in trouble right now?”

 

They heard a laugh. “Well, what’s the matter?! Not so confident when you’re outnumbered, huh?!”

 

Blake glowered at the cane wielder as Sun threw his fellow blonde a question. “Any idea how to survive this?”

 

His answer came in the form of a can of what seemed to be soft drink tossed into the monkey Faunus’s hand. “Arc, what the hell?! We’re surrounded by a bunch of terrorists and you’re giving me a soft drink?!”

 

Jaune’s next words were short and simple. “Look harder.”

 

Sun narrowed his eyes. He seriously doubted that a can of drink would be very beneficial in their current situation.

 

That is, until he saw a special caution.

 

“Ten percent of alcohol content per liter?” Sun asked with disbelief. “How did you...?”

 

“I grabbed one when I was following you guys around. Thought it would come in handy.”

 

“...Dude, are you sure about this?”

 

“I don’t have many choices right now, Sun,” he smiled, if a bit wryly. “So, what do you say? Ready to let loose?”

 

“Oh, hell yeah!” the blonde Faunus popped open the can while grinning widely towards the group of enemies. “You White Fang better prepare yourselves! Because your worst nightmare has just arrived!”

 

Then he downed the liquid in one go.

 

Blake approached Jaune with slight apprehension visible in her golden eyes as they watched the monkey Faunus begin swaying back and forth. “Jaune, what is going on? What did you just give him?”

 

“Don’t think about it too much. Although I have to warn you, he is _very_ dangerous right now, so remember to keep your distance.” he said as he turned to face the enemies’ leader. “You guys take care of the goons. Leave him to me.”

 

“Jaune, wait-”

 

She never managed to finish her sentence because Jaune already leapt forward and sent the cane wielder flying with a shield bash before following him with a jump. Her attention was once again diverted when she heard a slurred laugh from behind her.

 

Then the bodies started flying.

 

...

 

“Hnf!” the orange haired man flipped a few times to decrease his momentum before landing on his feet. He didn’t even have to wait for long before the one who had sent him flying touched down not too far away from him.

 

“Well, well, well, here comes our shining knight!” he remarked sarcastically. “Now all we need is a white horse to make this complete!”

 

Jaune didn’t respond immediately. He merely tightened the grip on his sword. “Shut up.”

 

“My, my, what arrogance,” he stared at the boy with amusement. “Young men nowadays are so disrespectful. Do you really think you’re capable of facing me without your friends’ help?”

 

“...No,” his answer caused the man’s visible eye to go slightly wider. “However, I also know that you’ve been holding back. In truth, you’re way out of their leagues, and letting them fight you will only lead to their defeat.”

 

“Whoa, you’re smarter than you look, aren’t you, boy?” the man rubbed his jaw. “I never thought someone would be able to see through me so easily like that. Tell me, kid, have we met before?”

 

“Not until today, but I know you,” Jaune stood straighter while keeping his shield arm in front of him in case the criminal tried an underhanded move. “Roman Torchwick, wanted criminal. You were arrested quite a few times before, yet always managed to escape somehow. You’ve been involved in many types of crimes, but the most frequent ones are Dust-related robberies. You’re also suspected to be in cohorts with White Fang, which I can deem as a confirmed fact after today’s events.”

 

Roman was quite surprised to find out how much information the blonde boy had on him. However, his musings stopped abruptly when Roman heard his next sentence.

 

“Once, you were the leader of Team ROCG, the best Hunter team in the world.”

 

This time, Roman’s eyes went as wide as could be.

 

“And once, you were my Master’s best friend.”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Guess whose names the O, C, and G indicate. Also, I’m still a bit confused whether to spell it ‘rock’ or ‘rogue’.

 

Please do leave a review in your way out.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	9. Ch 8 - Fallen

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: It gets even _more_ serious _._

 

It won’t be the same if you read the chapter without this amazing song. Trust me.

**\--Disturbed – Indestructible (/watch?v=aWxBrI0g1kE)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Fallen**

 

Blake watched the scene transpiring in front of her with no small amount of amazement. She had seen a lot in her life; being one of the more active members of the new White Fang, no matter how short it was, could cause that to a person. She had seen people moved with so great an agility that they seemed to faze in and out of existence. She had seen sword drawn in such a manner that it looked as if it never left the sheath.

 

Just recently, she had seen someone younger than her drag a Nevermore all the way up a cliff, and she had seen another fell into what seemed to be a bottomless ravine yet managed to survive without any permanent damage.

 

That was why she could hardly believe her eyes now. She had expected to be surprised, but this...

 

She saw another White Fang fly over her head.

 

It had her completely mesmerized.

 

**\--Disturbed – Indestructible (/watch?v=aWxBrI0g1kE)—**

 

They witnessed, in enormous disbelief and large amount of fear, as the blonde monkey Faunus fell to the ground and began snoring.

 

None of them made a move despite the visible vulnerability. To do it would require not a small quantity of courage, which none of them had at the time, not after watching the event which had led to that moment.

 

They had all heard his claim about being their worst nightmare. They had all suppress a laugh when they saw him begin swaying like a bum drunk out of his mind. Five of them had approached the boy, swords brandished, ready for the easiest takedown they would ever do.

 

They would confess at later time that they had no idea what exactly happened, only that they had paid the price.

 

It was easy to forget sometimes, especially when they were part of a terrorist group that sent terrors into the hearts of anyone who was unlucky enough to face them in battle. The world was big, with so many wonders and bizarreness that no man would be able to comprehend even with years of research and study. And this boy, face red and eyes droopy and breath smelling like liquor, was no doubt to be one of them.

 

It had started with a very simple question, almost like a drawl, uttered when the boy still had some clarity left in his quickly intoxicated mind. “Oy~, when do we start~?”

 

They had started attacking right then, and the boy didn’t even make a move to signal his readiness except the very weird stagger.

 

It was supposed to be only one enemy. One guy, a boy who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet.

 

However, it was undeniable, the frustration beyond belief that they felt at seeing how none of their attacks made contact, no slashes nor punches nor kicks, not one wound marred his physical state.

 

He swayed and swung and staggered, body contorting in irregular and uncoordinated movement, but despite having neither the barest of grace nor the slightest elegance, it never failed to avoid harm even as they charged again, and again, and again.

 

It wasn’t surprising why such a tremendous elation came over them when they saw one of their punch finally landed on the boy’s shoulder.

 

Their minds boggled when they saw his body make a distorted movement, and the next moment, the punch flew to their other comrade’s face.

 

They had almost thought it was just all coincidence, that sooner or later they would be able to land a damaging blow on the monkey Faunus even as he continued his drunken, otherworldly dance. They were beginning to imagine the satisfaction and the ways they would inflict pain to the blonde when he would eventually lose whatever blessing he had managed to gather from Goddess Fortuna.

 

That was when he began throwing his own strikes.

 

The boy bent his body back as a slash came dangerously close to his neck. Swords were raised, ready to be sunk into flesh, but their anger-riddled minds were not prepared when the boy suddenly jerked forward, lashing out with ferocity they had never expected. They could only stare in shock as the body of his attackers wound up on the ground in the space of five seconds, surrounding their sole adversary, still breathing, yes, but out cold all the same. It was as if they blinked, and the next time their eyes were open again, their number had been cut to half in an almost frightening speed.

 

Yet another surprise struck them when the boy suddenly toppled forwards, face meeting with the cold pavement. Not long afterwards, a snore was audible.

 

They exchanged incredulous glances, not exactly capable of processing what had just happened. The boy kept snoring as they tried to gather their wit, none of the melee fighters wanting to approach the boy for fear of a trap. They all looked at each other before making a decision, gun wielders gathering before pointing their firearms’ barrels at the prone figure.

 

However, the moment the Dust loaded guns launched their first shot, the supposedly sleeping boy suddenly sprang up and somersaulted backwards, missing everything that was propelled at him and causing the unconscious members of White Fang to take the damage instead. The shooters didn’t even have time to adjust their aim when the drunk Faunus leapt forward in a manner reminiscent of a zombie.

 

None of them stood a chance when he crashed at the gun wielders, before pummeling the poor terrorists into painful oblivion.

 

As soon as he struck the last gunner into unconsciousness, the boy just swung backwards as he fell on his butt, before sitting cross-legged with his head down, rocking back and forth while hiccupping occasionally.

 

Then they heard him let out a laugh. It was the same slurred laugh they had heard before the fight had started, yet this time, they no longer heard it as a laugh of a drunken boy. To them, it now held the promises of pain. Of lightning-quick punches and kicks. Of swift retribution.

 

Another reinforcement should be arriving shortly, yet it granted them no relief.

 

It was quiet again when the laughter abruptly stopped.

 

The silence was deafening.

 

And they were scared.

 

...

 

Jaune’s body flung backwards, only stopping when his back hit a steel container and creating a very visible dent on its surface.

 

The boy fell to his knee, hacking and coughing and feeling generally like he had been hit by a truck, both from his front and behind. A massive feeling of nausea hit him, and the next thing that came out of his mouth and onto the pavement was blood. A lot of it.

 

He opened one eye to look at his calmly approaching enemy, all sign of amusement and mockery gone from his person, leaving only a steel-cold stare that pierced into the very depth of his bones.

 

Right after Jaune had revealed all he knew about the criminal, Roman’s demeanor had changed. There was no more mocking laughter, no more scathing sarcasm, no more trash talk. What was left were only lips drawn in thin line, silence, and a cold drive to kill, and it compelled Jaune think that he had made a very _bad_ choice.

 

What followed after was one of the worst battles he had ever experienced. He had not been kidding when he said that Roman had been holding himself back. The speed, the skill, and the strength Roman displayed blatantly outclassed Jaune’s by a very wide margin, and he even seemed to switch his Dust ammo into ones with a very high potency, causing the boy to exert everything he had ever learned in a desperate attempt to just _survive_. He was already flooding his body with Aura, and despite the effort, the blinding pain in his chest indicated that at least three of his ribs were either broken or had completely shattered and a number of his internal organs seemed to be damaged as well.

 

As he vomited another mouthful of blood, a thought crossed Jaune’s mind. This was most likely what would have happened if his own Master had fought him with the intent to kill.

 

He barely had time to open his eyes and react, rolling to the side when another highly potent red Dust shot threatened his wellbeing. Not giving him any reprieve, Roman followed with a flurry of attacks that forced the blonde swordsman to use both shield and sword to avoid grievous harm. He had no chance for a counter; heck, even if he had four arms he would still be hard pressed to sneak an attack!

 

Jaune’s mind spun at almost one hundred mile an hour. If the last ten minutes were any proof, there was no way he would be able to win the battle by brawn alone. He was fortunate enough to survive this long with his body still intact, but Jaune knew that even he would run out of luck soon enough.

 

His fear came to realization when the cane’s curved end suddenly hooked onto his sword’s cross-guard. Not even his reflex was quick enough to react when he was jerked forward, almost losing his balance before one of the criminal’s feet went straight to his face. His waist bent to an almost ninety degrees of angle as he toppled backwards onto the ground, groaning in pain.

 

Another foot suddenly stepped down and pinned his shield arm, causing Jaune to open his eyes in pain and surprise and terror, only to see the cane’s barrel pointing at his torso, as Roman’s threw him nothing but an eerily blank stare.

 

He tried to gather as much Aura as he could and condensed them on his front, but Jaune knew that from this distance, it would only be meager defense at best.

 

Then the world exploded in pain.

 

...

 

Sun was always quick to get drunk, but was quick to sober up as well. In fact, his body was already beginning to digest the alcohol in his system as he gained a meager amount of clarity, enough for him to notice the large number of bodies strewn about all around him. He looked around through blurry eyes, managing to find Blake’s form in considerable distance as she helped him fend off the unending streams of attacks.

 

And even though he wasn’t completely sober yet, he couldn’t help but notice that a certain blonde swordsman was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Oy, Blake!” he called out as he sent a roundhouse kick that hit two heads consecutively. “Where’s Arc?!”

 

The cat Faunus took down two more of White Fang before somersaulting to his side. “You’re not drunk anymore?”

 

Sun grunted. “Not the answer I want, woman.”

 

Blake looked surly at him for a short moment before answering curtly. “He separated from us some time ago, bringing that criminal with him. I’m not sure where he’s at right now.”

 

“...What?” Sun whirled around, eyes squinting in disbelief. But that made no sense! Sure, he couldn’t claim to know all about the other blonde, but after their numerous encounters, short as they were, Sun had at least grasped that the swordsman was not the kind of person who would leave people behind in the face of danger. He had always gone out of his way to keep people safe, both authorities and civilian alike. Even at times when it seemed to be unnecessary, the guy would always stay around just to make sure that people got out safely from whatever incidents he was currently involved in. So why would the bastard left them alone to fight the White Fang while he went to face that orange haired bastard alone?

 

_‘Unless...’_

 

He gasped.

 

Unless that guy was actually far more dangerous than these masked Faunus terrorists put together.

 

Sun stiffened when he heard war cries from all around him, he didn’t even try to hide his frustrated growl at the seemingly endless assault as he once again grabbed his staff, wanting nothing more than for this fight to finish so he could look for the idiot blonde and confirm his safety.

 

They never managed to reach Blake and Sun, though, as he watched (with no small amount of shock) a red-cloaked figure suddenly conjured into existence and began to waste away at the enemies. The danger closing in from behind was also averted when a girl armed with swords hovering over her back touched down, taking them on without even a second of pause.

 

Together, they made quick work of what was left over of the enemies before bounding over to them. Penny was first to arrive as she gave the cat Faunus a cheerful greeting. “Hi, Blake! Nice to meet you again!”

 

Blake was about to respond when she was suddenly tackled by the girl in red cloak, countenance twisted in concern as she fussed over his companion. “Blake, are you okay? Did you get hurt? I’m sorry for not being able to stop your arguments with Weiss, sorry for not getting here sooner, sorry for not being a good leader-”

 

“Ruby, I’m okay,” Blake stopped her rambling with a few words, before bringing her hand to rub the shorter girl’s deep-red hair. “And no, I’m not angry at you.”

 

The girl looked relieved for all but one second before her face was once again filled with worry. “Are you sure you’re not wounded? I heard a few explosions. Do you need to go to hospital? I’m sure there’s one near here!”

 

Ruby yelped when Blake flicked her nose. “I said I’m fine, Ruby. Just some minor scratches and maybe a couple of bruises, nothing too severe. You can thank Sun here, though, he’s the one who took care of most-”

 

Blake’s sentence was cut off when a distant explosion sounded and caused a small tremor to shake the ground. There was a few seconds of silence before Sun abruptly took off in a direction, a hint of desperation in his tone when a name of one single syllable escaped his lips. “ARC!”

 

They didn’t even take a moment to think before following the monkey Faunus, hearts growing increasingly worried that escalated even more when at least five more explosions went off in rapid succession. They saw Sun increased his speed into a sprint as he yelled their friend’s name once again, and this time, they couldn’t help but notice the unmistakable fear barely held within his voice.

 

They would never forget the view that greeted them saw as they finally stepped into the other side of the dock.

 

Jaune was sprawled on the ground, an orange haired man standing over him.

 

What their sight immediately homed in wasn’t on the man currently stepping on Jaune’s left arm, nor on the boy’s neglected sword only a few inches from his right hand, nor on the cane’s barrel pointing at the boy’s chest. But on the singed hoodie, and the amount of blood that was pooling under his body as he coughed, covering his chin and cheek and jaw in sticky, crimson liquid glistening under the moonlight.

 

Ruby absently listened to an animalistic roar when the enraged monkey Faunus shot forward and began attacking Roman in an almost bestial fury. Ruby barely realized that both Blake and Penny immediately joined the foreign boy in his assault as she walked over to the prone boy, not quite believing her eyes and half expecting all of this to be a dream.

 

“...Jaune?” she arrived at the boy’s side, eyes wide and lips quivering and still couldn’t wrap her head around it.

 

She felt something wet under her shoes, and she looked down only to finally recognize the blood. _‘Oh God, the blood...!’_. She brought her hands to her mouth, trying to stifle the whimper that threatened to come out as tears flowed down her cheeks, freely and unbidden.

 

He was pale, his face almost ashen white, and he was barely breathing.

 

She fell to her knees.

 

Then she screamed.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: You know, I like Jaune. Very much so, in fact, that I even made him into such a badass. Then again, I’ll let you know that in my fic, my favorite character tends to suffer. _Horribly_. *evil laugh*

 

Please remember to leave a comment. I really appreciate it.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	10. Ch 9 - Rage

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: Why didn’t Jaune use Excalibur in his fight against Roman? The answer is simple: he couldn’t. A trait I made for Jaune’s heirloom weapon is that they respond to his heart, his desire and his motivation. You can read back to chapter 3 that Jaune needs to _feel_ a very specific emotion to call upon Excalibur. There’s a reason why I called them Inner Arc (Crocea Mors) and Outer Arc (Excalibur) respectively. Jaune’s nature was defensive and protective by default, and it would take something drastic for him to switch to his other side of personality.

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Rage**

 

They had ganged up on him, channeling rage behind every strike, every slash, every shot, yet they still failed to seize victory as the man was capable of fighting them to a standstill. However, probably from the realization that to continue only meant to waste more time, the man had jumped backwards as far as he could before three Bullheads appeared overhead and began sending a barrage that forced the three teenage warriors to retreat. Penny had quickly shot down the planes with bizarre, yet powerful laser beams, only to find out that it only served as a distraction that had enabled Roman to flee from the scene.

 

Sun turned away from the retreating airship, fiery rage still burning in his heart, only to find the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR had already arrived and was currently trying to find a way to solve the crisis.

 

“Jaune, can you hear me?! Jaune!”

 

“We need to take him to the hospital!”

 

“And how we are supposed to do that?! The nearest hospital is at least five miles away! He’d have bled out before we even arrived at its door!”

 

“Then call an ambulance!”

 

“It won’t make a difference! We’d run out of time all the same!”

 

“Then what are we supposed to do?! Jauney’s going to die if we leave him like this!”

 

“Don’t yell at me, you dunce! Do you think I don’t know that?!”

 

“Well then _you_ come up with something already!”

 

Sun gritted his teeth as he stomped over. “SHUT UP!” he roared, causing everyone to flinch and look at him in alarm. “This is _not_ the time for an argument, goddammit!”

 

“Does anyone have a healing Semblance?!” he asked none too softly. Finding multiple shake of heads, he growled. “Healing Dust?! Medicine?! ANYTHING?!”

 

When they all shook their heads again, none of them missed the blatant distress and disappointment radiating from the blonde Faunus. It only served to heighten their apprehension and shame. Jaune had even included in his message that they were in big trouble, and yet none of them thought of preparing for the possibility of injuries.

 

Time was running out, and Sun had almost panicked as he racked his brain to come up with a solution.

 

The answer came up when he remembered one particular memory. It was a desperate move and Sun had no way to be sure that it would work as it did last time, but this was an utmost emergency and it wasn’t like he had many choices anyway.

 

“Back away!” he barked. “I’m not asking, dammit!” he shouted angrily when no one made a move, causing them to scramble to their feet and stepped back. He skidded to his knees by the blonde swordsman’s head as he regarded the gang. “Flare your Aura to the fullest!”

 

“W-what fo-”

 

“Just fucking do it!” he snapped harshly, placing both hands on top of each other against Jaune’s forehead.

 

Sun’s entire arms immediately started glowing. They weren’t sure what the Faunus was trying to do, his question from before clearly implied that he had no healing power, either. However, Jaune’s survival was the most important thing at the moment, and they wouldn’t dare complain if Sun had a way to achieve just that.

 

Lights of different colors shone in the night, brightening the area considerably before it they all changed into a dull white hue. They all looked at the monkey Faunus, half expecting an explanation and finding it very strange when they noticed that their Aura now matched his in color and that it also completely engulfed their friend’s dying body.

 

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon...!” Sun muttered repeatedly, face contorted in exertion.

 

“W-what is this?” Weiss couldn’t help but ask because she felt her reserve decreasing in alarming speed.

 

“My Semblance,” Sun replied tersely without breaking his concentration. “I’m sure you already know about the idiot’s healing factor. Right now, I’m channeling our energy to kick start and maybe multiply its effect.”

 

“Does it really work that way?” Yang asked as she grimaced when another chunk of her energy ebbed away.

 

“I don’t know!” Sun answered honestly, if a bit anxiously. “But we have no fucking choice right now and this is our best bet!”

 

Only a moment later, they watched as the light cocooning Jaune grew in both intensity and radiance.

 

“Is it working?” Pyrrha asked. “I still don’t see any change!”

 

“Just keep the output steady!” Sun warned before looking at Jaune’s face. “C’mon, you fucking bastard, I know you’re better than this! I swear, if you dare die on me, I’m gonna find you in whatever shithole you end up in, and drag you back here just so I can kill you myself!”

 

Ren suddenly fell to her knees.

 

“Ren!” Nora cried out in alarm.

 

Sun stared at the black haired boy worriedly. This was getting worse, if only this was enough to weaken the boy so much, it wouldn’t be long before he passed out from exertion.

 

He returned his gaze at the still unresponsive boy and his yell began anew, “Fuck you, Arc! This is getting ridiculous! Your friends are practically killing themselves to save you, so show them some gratitude already!” he gritted his teeth in frustration. “I know you can hear me, you bastard!”

 

It was right after that sentence that Jaune suddenly gave a small jolt.

 

“It’s working...” Ruby said with shaky voice as she rubbed her eyes almost violently so she could see more clearly. A small smile graced her lips when she saw Jaune’s face regaining a little bit of color. “It’s working!”

 

“Finally!” the light on Sun’s hand died down.

 

“Wait, why are you stopping?! He’s still not healed yet!” Pyrrha yelled.

 

“It’s alright,” Sun assured. “Like I said, we only need to kick start it. His Aura will do the rest on its own.”

 

“So he will be okay now?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Almost immediately, everyone in the vicinity slumped in both relief and exhaustion, feeling extremely drained as though they had just run a full marathon several times around the entire city. Ren even had to lean on Nora just not to collapse, panting heavily as if finally remembering how to breathe just now.

 

Sun let himself fall unceremoniously to the ground, a long sigh escaping his mouth. “I can’t freakin’ believe this guy. There are nine people here, and it takes most of our reserves just to do this!”

 

“I always know he has a big reserve,” Pyrrha remarked while heaving a huge breath. “Now, though, I finally notice just how big.”

 

“Yeah, it’s almost like he’s overcompensating for something,” Yang commented. “Although with that kind of stamina, no matter the size, this guy would be a beast in bed.”

 

“Yang!” Blake yelled, scandalized. “This is _so_ not the time!”

 

“What?! I just want everyone to loosen up since the danger’s passed!”

 

“It’s still inappropriate!” Weiss scolded, face still a bit pale as if Death had just warmed over. “Besides, we still don’t know for sure if he’s going to be okay!”

 

“Oh, trust me, he is,” Sun answered easily. “We gave him a chance, and that’s enough. Dude’s a fighter, after all,” he inclined his head slightly towards the still unconscious blonde. “Just take a look yourself if you don’t believe me.”

 

They were a bit skeptic, but Weiss said no words as she scooted over only to find a sight that caused her eyes to widen. “His wound... it’s mending?” she stared at the monkey Faunus questioningly. “Just what is happening? I’m aware of Jaune’s accelerated healing, but as far as I know, it usually just sped up the recovery process. But this... this...”

 

“I’ll give you a clue.” Sun smiled. “It’s not healing, not exactly.”

 

It was Penny who voiced what must have crossed their collective minds. “So it’s regeneration!”

 

“Correct.”

 

“But how do you know this?” asked Ren as Nora laid his head to her lap so the boy could rest better.

 

“It’s not like he told me or something. I just noticed it by accident,” Sun noticed that nine pairs of eyes were now staring at him. They must have expected an explanation, if their silence was an indication. “Yesterday, we mentioned the one time we actually fought, right? The one where we destroyed half of the police station?”

 

They nodded. “You see, he was supposed to be strong enough to subdue me with minimal injury, yet when I came to, he was wounded heavily and absolutely exhausted. I would notice the reason for that later when I saw that none of the officers was hurt. He must have fought me while protecting them, and believe me when I say that it was definitely not easy.” He winced. “I don’t actually remember anything from the time I spent drunk, but considering the wreckage, it must have been nothing short of frenzy.”

 

“Per se,” Blake muttered, remembering how he had stopped White Fang’s onslaught almost singlehandedly just earlier while in that state.

 

“Even though it technically wasn’t my fault, I felt guilty. I didn’t exactly think it over at the time. Call it instinct. Call it intuition. Call it plain impulsiveness. I just knew that to fix him, I would need to use my Semblance.” He snorted. “Imagine my surprise when his bruises actually began disappearing when my Aura came into contact with his.”

 

“What do you mean ‘surprised’?” Ruby asked curiously. “Haven’t you used your Semblance before?”

 

“Of course I have. But that... that was just beyond the norm.” Sun answered. “What I did, you see, was supposed to only transfer my energy, or at the very least that’s what happened when I did it to all the other people. Resupply his Aura, if you will. But him? It actually amplified his Aura and caused it to go into somewhat of an overdrive.”

 

“So... it empowered his self-healing ability to the extent that it actually became regeneration?” Pyrrha inquired.

 

“Got it in one.” Sun smiled and sat up.

 

“How come we never know this?” Ren asked, a small frown marring his tired visage. “We’re supposed to be teammates, so why did he never tell us?”

 

Sun only laughed. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, buddy. I really don’t think the idiot knows about it himself, and I didn’t get the chance to tell him since the moment he woke  up, the guy’d immediately knocked me out before deporting me,” he bonked the unconscious boy’s head lightly. “This idiot is strong enough to never get injured to this extent most of the time. Besides, it only activates when he receives Aura from other people, and I don’t think that happens very often.”

 

“Actually, on that note, how did this work anyway?” Weiss gestured to the still glowing boy. “I thought the universal fact of giving Aura energy to others is restricted to family and relatives. People with no blood relation can only use their Aura to activate others’, and disregarding that rule usually ends in terrible side-effects.”

 

“Ah, but that’s for people without my Transfer ability,” Sun waggled his index finger. “Think of someone’s Aura as something like a puzzle, and as you use it, parts of that puzzle is separated. My Semblance can transform one’s Aura so that it fits the puzzle. Simple as that.”

 

Right after he finished the explanation, Sun immediately paled a bit. _‘Oh shit...’_ Overwhelmed by the relief from ensuring the other male blonde’s survival, Sun had let his mouth run off without thinking and ended up saying too much.

 

Fortunately, he had caught himself before he divulged anything too important, so there’s that. He didn’t mention that his special ability could transfer things other than Aura, or that it consisted not only ‘give’ but also ‘take’. His Semblance, as useful as it was, also had darker aspects, after all, and as long as he was concerned, the fewer people who knew it, the better. Since he absolutely abhorred lying as well, hopefully no one would ask about it-

 

“So, is Aura the only thing your Semblance can transfer?”

 

Someone up there must have hated him. “Uh...” Sun cursed in his mind as the red-cloaked girl’s question caused the whole gang to turn their attention to him again. Damn him and his big mouth! “Ah ha, um, you see-”

 

“Uhh...” Jaune chose that exact moment to stir, causing the monkey Faunus to thank him profusely, if only internally. The swordsman always seemed to know when others needed help even while being barely aware, and the blonde foreigner swore he could kiss the other boy for the save.

 

“Jaune!” Pyrrha was the first one to call her partner’s name. “Jaune, can you hear me?!”

 

Two blue orbs peeked through the small slits of his eyelids. “...Pyrrha?” he stopped to glance at his surroundings. “Is everybody okay?”

 

“Only you, Arc...” Sun chuckled wryly. “Only you would ask if everyone else is okay even after almost getting killed _yourself_...”

 

“Is that a yes or no?”

 

“That’s a yes,” Sun kneeled by the boy’s side. “How are you feeling, buddy?”

 

“Like I have no bones...” he groaned weakly. “Help me up?”

 

“Jaune, I don’t think that’s a good-”

 

Ruby was cut off by the other male blonde. “Woman, please, you’re treating him like he’s a wuss.” He grabbed Jaune’s right hand before pulling him to his feet. “Feeling better?”

 

“Where’s you?” Jaune asked unintelligibly, wobbling on his feet.

 

“Just had a fight,” Sun was quick to reply. “Where were you?”

 

“Same,” the swordsman shook his head. “Why’s my nose itchy?”

 

“Probably because it’s broken.” Sun deadpanned.

 

He coughed. “And who’s been dancing on my chest?!”

 

“Six Dust rounds, shot at nearly point blank.”

 

“...Huh,” Jaune remarked stupidly. “One last thing, why does my left shoulder hurt so much?”

 

“What?” Sun moved closer to observe said shoulder. “Oh, it’s dislocated,” he grabbed Jaune’s wrist as he put one of his feet on the swordsman’s side as leverage. “Hang on.”

 

“Just leave it. Leave-!” Sun didn’t listen as he fixed the dislocated joint with a powerful pull, causing the other boy to gasp. “-it.” Jaune finished lamely, hissing in pain. “You are a—Oh, you are some sort of a-”

 

Sun chopped his head. “Be nice.”

 

Jaune sighed in irritation, and Sun only snorted back smugly.

 

Their banter ended when Jaune finally could see clear enough to know that both his team and Team RWBY were surrounding him. “Great, the gang’s all here,” he gave a soft smile. “Now we can finally eat ice cream together!”

 

There was a few seconds of silence before Weiss remarked. “Jaune, you are still covered in blood.”

 

The boy looked down on his body. “...Oh.”

 

The girl looked back to the others, one eyebrow raised as if asking their opinion. They all pondered for a bit before nodding to Weiss. The white haired heiress let out a small sigh as she walked to Jaune while bringing one hand up.

 

“Angel?”

 

An azure glyph appeared before Jaune, turning black in a mere second. “Hold your breath.” she offered the confused boy an apologetic smile.

 

The glyph became red in color.

 

Jaune suddenly found himself launched into the air. He couldn’t even squeak a sound before he was plunged into the sea.

 

They didn’t have to wait long before the boy reemerged from the dock’s edge, now soaked in salty liquid instead of sticky crimson fluid, mouth opened and ready to ask what the hell was that about. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to utter even a single word as he noticed the heiress was pointing her Myrtenaster at him, and the next second, a torrent of flame engulfed the boy.

 

The flame dissipated, not leaving smoke but a blonde boy steaming from his quickly drying body. All complains were left forgotten as he just stood there, mouth hung open and eyes staring at his friends, not knowing exactly what to make of the situation.

 

They all looked at each other, grinned widely, and ran towards the flabbergasted boy before glomping him.

 

“What the-?! Guys?!” he asked in bewilderment, while his friends just laughed together as they squeezed the air out of the swordsman. Receiving no response, Jaune was about to just let the event unfold until he was free when he suddenly felt something on his backside. “Alright, who the hell is grabbing my ass this time?!”

 

~•~

 

“You could have at least told us your plan before I drank that blasted liquor!”

 

“Well I didn’t do so because I knew you’d have objected!”

 

“And what’s so bad about that?! You almost got killed trying to fight him alone!”

 

“Yes, I did, and that happened even though I had a shield at the time! What do you think would’ve happened if you two, or God forbids, one of you, faced him without one?!”

 

It was almost an hour after the whole ordeal had been finished. Cops had come to the scene to arrest all the unconscious terrorists. Blake and Weiss finally had a talk about their problem which result in Weiss telling Blake that she didn’t care as long Blake was no longer part of White Fang. Then Sun had approached him to say his piece of mind about his decision to separate himself and Roman away, and from there, it had escalated to their current argument.

 

“We could dodge, thank you very much!”

 

“Okay, you may have not heard me the first time, so I’ll repeat it for you. One shot from that thrice-damned cane sent me flying every! Single! Time!” he punctuated each word for emphasis. “I admit you and Blake are way faster than me, but if he could do that even to my Aura-augmented body _and_ shield, I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if you two got hit!”

 

“That still doesn’t excuse you for going off alone and putting yourself in danger!”

 

There was a bout of silence when the swordsman didn’t reply. “Then what would you have me do?” he said almost too quietly. “Should have I chosen my own safety over Blake’s and your lives? Should have I chosen to let you and Blake face someone who would have killed you without hesitation?”

 

He faced the stunned monkey Faunus, as well the rest of his friends, a small melancholic smile adorning his lips. “It was either me or you two, and I made my choice. If nothing else, I hope you understand why I chose to do it.”

 

They all stared at him, trying to come up with anything to say to the boy, but Jaune had said his piece thus he stalked away.

 

...

 

He walked over to the two officers he knew best before greeting them. “Good evening, officers.”

 

The two law enforcers looked at each other. The younger one turned his attention back to the boy, a frown on his face. “Hey, kid, you okay?”

 

Jaune flinched. “...You heard that, didn’t you?”

 

“Well, you two were yelling like no tomorrow. It’s kinda hard not to hear anything,” the older officer shrugged. “And while I think you are in the right, that monkey’s anger is quite justified.”

 

Jaune groaned. “Not you too...”

 

“Listen to me for a bit, son. You see, just like how you asked them to understand, you also need to consider this from their point of view as well,” he put one hand on the swordsman’s shoulder. “What if your positions were reversed? How would you feel then?”

 

Jaune was quiet for a while. “I guess... I would be upset too...”

 

“There you go. Just remember that sometimes, a bit of empathy is all you need,” the bearded man smiled as he tapped Jaune’s shoulder one more time. “Now, enough of that frown! We still have an investigation to do, and you’re helping!”

 

“Yeah, for old days’ sake!” the younger officer agreed.

 

Jaune looked at the two. “Fine,” he let himself make a soft chuckle before falling back to the tone he used back when he still helped the police force. “What do I need to do?”

 

“Hm, professional as always,” the bearded man smiled in approval as he handed the boy a small chip. “This is supposed to be filed under evidence, but the damn thing’s encrypted and without a tech expert, I have no doubt our department won’t succeed in salvaging the data inside. Besides, you were always better at this sort of thing.”

 

“You want me to hack it?” receiving a nod, Jaune pulled out his Scroll from his pants’ pocket. He inserted the chip and took a moment to analyze the encryption. “Give me five minutes.”

 

They fell into comfortable silence as the boy did his magic. His hand danced on the keyboard as he scaled down the wall shielding the chip’s content with expertise built from knowledge and experience. True to his words, five minutes later the wall was crushed as a single file appeared on his Scroll’s screen.

 

It was a picture, a map of Vale to be precise, as he noticed that there were two cross marks. “That’s odd...” one mark was placed on the very dock he was standing on, while the other one pointed to the location of the airport. “Now why would they...?”

 

Jaune’s eyes became unfocused. He stayed unresponsive like that long enough for the two officers to notice that something was not right.

 

“Kid, what did you find? ...kid? What’s wrong?”

 

But he wasn’t listening. In fact, he hadn’t been listening anymore since the discovery caused one particular memory from his brain to resurface.

 

_“I only have to go to the airport to meet some old acquaintances, nothing too important.”_

 

He froze up.

 

...

 

They had immediately felt bad after the short argument, Sun even more so than the others. Frankly, he had confronted the other male blonde because he knew that everyone else was also thinking along the same line and he wasn’t the type of person who’d tiptoe around a subject like that.

 

When did it start, though? When did he begin to let his own concern to take over and caused it to escalate into a heated argument?

 

He looked back to the group of teenagers, and it wasn’t hard to tell that they were growing more upset with every passing second. “I’m sorry,” his apology caused them to look up at him. “I didn’t mean for that to happen...”

 

Almost everyone looked at each other uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to placate the blonde Faunus. That is, until Weiss walked forward and flicked his forehead with a very firm order. “Stop that.”

 

“B-but I-”

 

“Ah-buh-buh-buh, I don’t want to hear it. It’s clear to us that you said what you did out of concern and not some misplaced anger. Besides, I am certain one of us would have said it sooner or later,” she crossed her arms. “You saved us from the trouble of having to say it ourselves, and if anything, I feel grateful for that.”

 

“Really?”

 

Weiss did not reply, even though the soft smile adorning her lips, if a tad haughty still, was answer enough.

 

“So what do we do now?” Ruby asked. “I don’t know about all of you but I definitely don’t want Jaune to be angry with me.”

 

“I think it’s safe to say that all of us feel the same way,” said Blake as she glanced toward the blonde Faunus. “Although, since it’s only Sun who earned his ire, it may be okay for the rest of us.”

 

Sun groaned.

 

“We can all just apologize together!” Nora suggested cheerfully. “Jauney can be a bit grumpy sometimes, especially in the morning, but he never stays mad for long!”

 

“He doesn’t, does he?” Pyrrha remarked with a fond smile. “Come on, guys. The faster we resolve this, the better.”

 

They was about to walk to the blonde swordsman when they realized that something was wrong. His posture was stiff, eyes looking but not seeing even as the two officers near him tried to garner the boy’s attention, an air of unrest enveloping the boy.

 

A sound of displaced air was all the warning they had before they saw him move, quick and swift like always but instead of a calm, calculated movement, this time it was accompanied by a hint of pure, unadulterated fear. He reached one of the police cars and in mere seconds, the sound of roaring engine filled the dock as he took off to Lord-knows-where.

 

It happened in the span of a mere ten seconds, and in that duration, they only heard him exclaim a familiar title and name.

 

“MASTER OZPIN!”

 

In no more than the time one took to take a breath, Sun was immediately upon Weiss. “Toss me!”

 

“I-wh-wha-?”

 

“Toss me!” he repeated, his tone urgent and forceful. “HURRY!”

 

Weiss would have asked him to clarify had not the staff wielder already broken into a sprint. Almost instinctively, she raised one hand, and by way her Semblance a blood red glyph appeared under his feet just as he reached the apex of his acceleration.

 

They watched him soar in the sky with the velocity of a ballistic bullet, landing on top of the quickly departing car and latching on like his life depended on it as the vehicle turned a corner.

 

And, just like that, they were gone.

 

...

 

“ARC!!” he pounded on the window. “OY, OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!”

 

Between the rushing wind and rumbling engine, Sun’s acute hearing picked up a very small click sound. He wasted no time to open the door before nimbly putting himself on the passenger’s seat.

 

“What the hell was that, Arc?!” he yelled in indignation while trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, being on top of a car travelling at almost one hundred mile an hour could do that to a person. He didn’t get an answer. “Oy, I’m talking to you! Don’t ignore me, you bastard!”

 

Jaune merely threw him a sideways glance as he stepped on the gas and brought the car to its maximum speed. Sun was ready to unleash hell’s fury upon his self-admitted rival when a device was shoved into his hands.

 

He cancelled his rant, throwing one more disgruntled look at the swordsman before opening the device, finding only one file when the display came to life. A frown appeared on his face as he observed the picture. “Okay, Arc, I’m gonna need some context if I am to understand this right. What the hell does this mea-?” Sun suppressed the desire to scream when their car suddenly drifted around a corner at the highest speed possible. “Arc, for all that is holy, the next time you do that kind of shit, _please_ warn me beforehand!”

 

Only when they raced on straight road again did Jaune finally gave him the answer. “It was a distraction.”

 

“...What?” it did not compute.

 

Jaune’s entire features were tense when he continued. “Lately, White Fang has only been committing Dust-related crimes. Robbing Dust shops, hijacking train cars full of Dust shipment, etcetera. Unlike the past, there were no attempts at the Schnee Company’s Board Member, no attacks, no kidnapping, no assassinations. Nothing. And this goes on for one whole year.

 

“However, I have reasons to believe that it is all only a ruse. By no means have they lifted the target painted at Schnee Company, they are only making them think that procuring Dust is now their main objective. In other words, it all serves to create a fake sense of security.” His face turned grim. “And it culminates today. The attempt back at the dock was merely a distraction. Their main target is located at the airport, where the Schnee Company Board Members are supposed to be arriving. Tonight.”

 

“...Holy shit,” and truly, it was the only thing he managed to croak out at the moment. Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn’t help but feel an increasing respect for the swordsman sitting beside him. “Hey, in this situation, shouldn’t you have notified the police force? I mean, if there is an attack-”

 

His companion suddenly punched the door, creating a very visible dent and causing the window to completely shatter. Sun was so surprised he almost leapt out of the car  “...My Master is there,” he said quietly, and there was a tremor in his voice. “I panicked.”

 

Sun immediately understood. He might have not exactly known everything about the swordsman, but even from the few times he mentioned his so-called mentor with such adoration and respect, Sun didn’t have to be a genius to conclude that this person was very precious to Jaune.

 

“Okay...” Sun leaned back on the seat, face set in determination. “This is gonna be a very long night.”

 

~•~

 

Fighting for hours had taken its toll on him, and the wounds covering his body didn’t exactly make the situation any better. Spread about around him were countless bodies, faces covered in masks and symbols of crimson wolf painted on the back of their uniforms.

 

The man had fallen to his knees after losing the feeling in his legs, his cane being the only thing that enabled him to stay upright instead of sprawled on the ground like a pathetic wimp. However, he knew that he couldn’t stay in such position any longer, for the strongest of his enemies were still standing and they made it clear that they intended to make up for their failed operation by forcing him to draw his last breath.

 

He saw a red light; it was shot from afar but there was no doubt that the aim had been true. He knew he had to dodge but no matter how hard he wished it, his body wouldn’t obey his order. With nothing he could do, the grey haired man closed his eyes and tried to summon every last bit of his dwindling Aura, hoping that it would help him to survive one more attack.

 

There was a deafening explosion, but as ready as he was, somehow he felt no pain. The moment his eyes opened again, he was overwhelmed by surprise when he saw the familiar black hoodie and faded jeans, worn by someone he could recognize anywhere.

 

“...Jaune?” he whispered.

 

There was another person with him, and they were arguing.

 

“I said no, Arc! I’m not leaving you again! If we’re gonna do this, we’re doing it together!”

 

_Ah, judging from the tail, this must be that monkey Faunus Jaune told him about. Weren’t they supposed to be enemies?_

 

“We can’t afford to do that! Just look at Master, he needs medical attention! I need you to take him to safety!”

 

_He didn’t look that bad, did he? Well, maybe a few wounds here and there, but it wasn’t like it was severe enough for it to be an emergency._

_...Well, he did lose a lot of blood, so there might be truth in his dear apprentice’s claim._

 

“And why the fuck are you not coming?! Don’t tell me you’re thinking of facing them alone again!”

 

_...What?_

 

“We have no choice! What proof do we have to say that they won’t come after us?! You saw the explosion! One hit from that thing would explode the car! I have to stay here to hold them back so you can escape!”

 

_No, no, no._

 

“Well, I can also fill that role!”

 

“Do not act tough in front of me, Sun! I know what you did back at the dock! You barely have any Aura left, how in the hell you can survive the fight?!”

 

“Fuck that shit, Arc! I’ll say this as many times as I have to, I’m not leaving you-”

 

“SUN!” his apprentice roared while grabbing the other boy’s collar. The next time Jaune spoke, his voice was quiet that he had to strain his ears just to hear what was said. “I am entrusting to you my most precious person. Don’t take that lightly.”

 

The boy his apprentice called Sun opened his mouth as if wanting to argue, only to close it again with a frustrated expression set upon his face. He glared at Jaune. “...Fine.”

 

_No, no. He couldn’t! He couldn’t leave his dear boy alone against those two!_

 

But no matter how hard he willed it, his mouth wouldn’t open. He was forced to watch as the monkey Faunus picked him up.

 

“...I will bring the cavalry,” he heard Sun speak. “So, Arc, for God’s sake, don’t die before I return.”

 

His apprentice only offered the boy a small smile before turning his attention to him. He heard him whisper, “I’m sorry, Master Ozpin. It has to be done.”

 

Ozpin wanted to scream, at Jaune for staying behind, at Sun for relenting to Jaune’s request, and at himself for not being able to do anything.

 

...

 

Jaune saw a red light on the edge of his peripheral vision. He brandished his shield before leaping forward, taking the blast meant for the retreating car that would have surely broken his bones if he hadn’t already coated his entire left arm in Aura.

 

He stood his ground as he watched to figures appear from the shadow. A man wearing black trench coat, with white mask obscuring his upper face, and a black haired woman with a red dress adorning her slim frame, her eyes glowing like embers in the dark.

 

He knew them. “Adam Taurus and Cinder Fall, I presume?” he felt no need for confirmation, but he asked anyway. “Are you the ones who injured my Master to such extent?”

 

“And what if we are, boy? What are _you_ going to do about it?”

 

The woman haughty and sinister voice did it for the young swordsman. The anger, the rage that had been boiling inside his chest from the first moment he saw his Master wounded form had reached its limit.

 

And yet, his face was eerily calm, no emotion visible underneath its serene expression. No gritting teeth, no frown marred his visage. His fury was tranquil, insane demons and liquid fire clawing just below the depth of his consciousness.

 

Retribution would be served, even if it was the last thing he did.

 

The shield retracted as he slowly sheathed the sword.

 

“By the power vested in me, I command you.”

 

He plunged Crocea Mors into the ground.

 

“By the steel in my blood, and by the strength of my flesh.”

 

A brilliant white light enveloped the swordsman in all its glory.

 

“By the pain I endure, and by the legacy I bear.”

 

“Heed my voice.”

 

The light turned blinding as he drew his sword and held it high above his head. As the light died down into a dull white hue, he brought the sword to his side, clenched tight in his right hand. “Outer Arc, Excalibur.”

 

He brought the massive broadsword forward, pointing it at his visibly restless enemies. “You asked what I am going to do about it?” he smiled, but it held no warmth, no kindness... no mercy. His eyes were blizzard, a storm colder than the lowest temperature of the North Pole. “I am going to commit but one act.”

 

“I will kill you.”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: This chapter marks the very first time Jaune is _consumed_ by anger. Expect the next chapter to be _glorious_.

 

Kudos to everyone who managed to find the reference to Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 

 


	11. Ch 10 - Rave

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: A reviewer mentioned something about opening song, just like an anime. To tell you the truth, I’ve actually had something like that in mind for some time now. For the Opening Song, it would be **[Adore Your Pain] – (** **/watch?v=KEgu29EJMWw)** , and the Ending Song would be **[LOVER] – (/watch?v=nsOyccSy3_E)**.

 

An epic battle must be accompanied with an equally epic song. There’s just no other way.

**\--Calm Eyes Fixed on Me, Screaming – (/watch?v=AkH_3S6-MU0)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Rave**

 

 “Cinder, step back.”

 

The woman raised one eyebrow at the Faunus swordsman. “Excuse me?”

 

“You’re almost out of Dust,” Adam took a stance, fingers clenching on the hilt of his sword. “Extraction’s still some time away. I need to make sure you have enough to cover me if this goes south.”

 

“If?”

 

There a small shift in Adam’s posture. “Okay, _when_ this goes south.”

 

Cinder let her gaze wander to the glowing swordsman. Just to corner Ozpin alone they had to sacrifice almost two hundreds of White Fang soldiers merely to even the odds, and if this boy really was his apprentice, there was no doubt that this fight wouldn’t be any easier than the previous.

 

There was also that tingling, insufferable voice in the back of her head that said the only reason they even survived the clash with Ozpin was because the man was soft... too soft, which wasn’t the case with this boy currently standing twenty feet away from them. God, even from this distance she could feel the _murderous_ rage he was emanating.

 

Her fear was justified, however. The only ones she knew to have such tranquil fury that it froze both enemies and allies alike were Roman and Ozpin, and she had witnessed firsthand that when they reached this state, no matter how rare it was, there was a hundred percent certainty that heads would roll and limbs torn apart.

 

Jaune watched the woman he recognized as Cinder Fall stepped back and disappeared into the shadow once again, leaving the swordsman in black trench coat alone. They might have adapted the tactic of attrition, Cinder might be too tired to continue fighting, Adam might have wanted to duel him alone, nevertheless, for Jaune, it was no matter. In fact, facing them one by one would be much easier than having to fight both at once.

 

**\--Calm Eyes Fixed on Me, Screaming – (/watch?v=AkH_3S6-MU0)--**

 

He took one look around the airport apron, silently observing the unconscious White Fang that must have numbered in the hundreds. The wreckage of at least three airships was visible, their broken metal bodies slowly eaten away by the seething flame.

 

Vaguely, he noticed that the man dressed in black disappeared from his peripheral view.

 

_‘He’s fast.’_

 

He glanced around, hearing several feathery steps that even among the noise of burning airships wreckage and gushing night wind might have as well been as loud as explosions, thanks to his Aura-enhanced hearing.

 

His right moved in a blur as a loud clang sounded when he blocked a strike. He managed to catch the sight of a white mask before the owner fazed out of existence again.

 

_‘The quick-draw style, huh? And he does it with such speed, too.’_

 

He confessed that he was a bit surprised. Excalibur was a sword with a very much sufficient sharpness to cleave a Death Stalker’s exoskeleton as easy as one would expect from a butcher knife and tender meat. For his opponent’s weapon to not chip when its blade clashed against his Excalibur, it was nothing short of amazing.

 

He remained in spot, moving only his hand to whatever slight vibrations he could feel from the ground and the sound of swishing blade, generally just shutting down his mind and letting his reflex take control. It was a technique he was taught and had perfected through the countless sparring sessions with his lightning-quick Master. The ability to feel the shift in the air, to perceive what couldn’t be seen from sight alone by utilizing both his sense of hearing and touch.

 

Once again, he detected an incoming attack, but this time he was more than ready. He sidestepped the slash, feeling the sharp wind coming very close to the tip of his nose, while simultaneously throwing a mighty left punch. He heard the satisfying crunch when the attack connected, his eyes never leaving his opponent’s body as it flew away and hit the wall.

 

_‘Fast, but not as strong as Roman or Master, though.’_

 

 “Get up,” he approached the masked Faunus with deliberate, slow steps. “I’m not done with you.”

 

Adam wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before spitting. The brat punched like a damn battering ram! A normal human would have their jaw dislocated from that! How could someone so young obtain so much power?! It was absurdity at the highest order!

 

...then again, he _was_ that man’s apprentice. If history and stories could be believed, long before the man was known as Beacon’s Headmaster, his own training method had managed to appall almost all of Remnant that it had been appropriately dubbed as the Training-From-Hell of the century. If this boy had been subjected to and _survived_ such ridiculous amount of training, then this level of skill and strength didn’t seem all that ludicrous anymore.

 

He could feel his confidence plummeting rapidly. _‘I just had to think that, didn’t I...?’_

 

A pull of the trigger launched his Wilt forward like an oversized arrow, forcing Jaune to quickly deflect the attack lest it broke his nose. Knowing the advantage he got from the surprise attack wouldn’t hold for long, he flash-stepped forward, one knee aimed at his enemy’s abdomen. He expected the block, thus Adam quickly followed with a roundhouse kick to the head while snatching Wilt from the air.

 

The kick did connect, but Jaune’s claim about him lacking power behind his attacks could have been the truth after all considering he didn’t even flinch when Adam’s heel hit his cheek, the bruise appearing afterwards notwithstanding. The long scratch mark that appeared on Jaune’s other cheek after the boy barely managed to dodge a shot to the head was enough to quench his disappointment, though.

 

The two swordsman continued by exchanging blows in close distance, as Adam tried to wrap his head around the fact that his adversary was able to do so despite him attacking with both Wilt and Blush as if that blasted broadsword weighted like nothing.

 

He had no choice but to employ his superior speed to the extreme, for it was the only advantage he had in order to turn the table.

 

Blood sprayed as Adam finally managed to break through the younger swordsman’s defense and bury his blade in the boy’s left shoulder to his immense delight. His eyes immediately widened, however, when he saw Jaune’s sporting a positively savage grin as he brought his Excalibur high above his head, ready for a deadly downward slash.

 

Adam barely had the time to dislodge his Wilt and jump back to avoid being cleaved in two. Unfortunately, he didn’t entirely succeed, if the diagonal slash across his front was any indication.

 

He felt blood seeping out of the deep gash, making his crimson shirt even redder. Despite the severe wound, Adam couldn’t help but smirk widely. He felt neither apprehension nor fear. If he was to describe the overwhelming emotion burning his soul right now, there was no better word for it other than exhilaration.

 

The pride of a swordsman called upon him to always seek strong opponents to test his mettle, lest his own skill suffer from the lack of challenge. And to find someone who could go toe-to-toe with him, it was nothing short of elation.

 

His Aura flared, crimson light seeping into the darkness of night like blood mist. Adam looked forward, matching his enemy vicious smile with his own ferocious smirk, not unlike two wild beasts locked in a mortal combat.

 

The masked Faunus stood to his full height, Wilt once again sheathed inside Blush, to face his enemy and to once again dance with death.

 

Adam and Jaune glowed brighter, a blood red sun against gleaming, luminous moon, two fearsome forces standing at opposite sides. Hilts clenched tighter, anticipation barely reined in, the desire to indulge their thirst for blood almost overwhelming, and the faintest hint of raving madness held within.

 

They took off, their swords meeting in a deafening clash with a roar that pierced the heavens.

 

Still, the sparks of battlefield would spread in the air.

 

~•~

 

Pain.

 

Pain wrecked their bodies, almost succeeding in dominating their entire beings, yet they still swung their swords.

 

They could not stop, unless they had a death wish.

 

Injuries, both shallow and deep, covered their entire frame, so much that the only part clean of blood was their faces, and even that wasn’t completely untouched, either. Adam had lost the feeling in his left arm, forcing him to only be able to wield Wilt. The same could be said for Jaune, whose right leg now sported bullet holes in addition to the numerous slash wounds.

 

Despite the severe wounds, they never stopped lashing out. Even though soaked by their own blood, they never ceased trying to kill each other. Through conquering pain, through blurred sight, through ragged breaths they fought, and if they had their say, the two warriors would not stop unless the other drew his last breath.

 

Yet fate had different plan.

 

The two injuries-riddled swordsmen drew their respective weapon back, one deep crimson _ninjato_ and one white massive broadsword, prepared to plunge the weapons to their opponents flesh and end their lives. Their focus was so centered at each other that they completely lost attention at their own surrounding.

 

It was at that very moment that the area was filled with light.

 

To say they were startled was an understatement. A Bullhead appeared from behind Adam, as half a dozen police cars arrived at the airport apron from Jaune’s side.

 

“Adam, retreat!”

 

A red light appeared overhead. The masked Faunus managed to leap back, but the force from explosion still sent him flying away a few feet backwards.

 

Jaune, however, was too injured to evade the attack, and he could only watch as the flame blast came ever closer.

 

Adam struggled to force his wounded body to stand upright, eyes peering towards the spot of explosion. He held back a gasp when instead of a scorched boy, the smoke dissipated to reveal ten figures in total, all still standing, nine of whom used the combination of their weapons and bodies to protect the blonde swordsman.

 

The boy himself was bewildered. “E-everyone...”

 

“Told you I’d bring the cavalry...” the tailed Faunus at the foremost of that defensive formation stood up and looked at the woman currently positioned inside the plane. “So how about it, lady?! Ready to turn yourself in?!”

 

Cinder merely chuckled as if she had just heard something incredibly funny. “And what makes you think I’m inclined to do that, filthy monkey?”

 

“We’ve got you outnumbered!” Yang shouted.

 

Cinder raised a mocking eyebrow. “I still don’t see why a bunch of snotty teenagers and useless officers are going to be an inconvenience.”

 

Ruby, who was standing beside Sun, brandished her scythe while hissing like a scorned cat. “Alright, that’s it! Everyone, attack-”

 

“Stop.” Jaune immediately placed the flat side of his sword on Ruby’s shoulder before she moved. “She’s right.”

 

“What hubris are you saying?! Don’t agree with this... this hussy!”

 

Jaune frowned. “Angel, you’re being rude.”

 

“And here comes our usual old married couple routine...” Ren muttered in exasperation.

 

“W-wha—she’s a criminal!”

 

“Just because someone has a crime record doesn’t necessarily mean she is a hussy. Besides, correct me if I’m wrong, a hussy means-”

 

“That’s not my point, you dunce!” Weiss whirled to glare at the swordsman. “She just tried to kill you! Why are you defending her?!”

 

Jaune put on a scandalized face. “I’m not defending her. I merely pointed out that she’s got a point.”

 

“And for heavens’ sake, what is that point?! We outnumber them five to one!”

 

“Number isn’t the problem here. In fact, it’s the opposite,” Jaune inclined his head slightly, gesturing to the police force taking cover behind the doors of their cars. “We might be okay if she attacks since we have Aura, but they don’t.”

 

“Are you saying we should just let them escape?” Weiss asked him incredulously.

 

“Well, if you insist,” Jaune turned around, flinching as he tried dragging his useless leg. “You guys can attack, I’ll try my best to prevent casualties.”

 

Weiss grabbed his shoulder and forced him to face her again. “Do you not realize the condition you’re in?! You look like you’ll kick the bucket with just one more hit!”

 

“Your point? Better me than them.”

 

The heiress threw her hands up. “Okay, fine, we’re standing by! Are you happy now?!”

 

“...Do you always have to be angry at me?”

 

Weiss scoffed. “I’m not _always_ angry at you!”

 

“Er, yeah, so screaming at me is your way of showing affection?” Jaune rolled his eyes. “Just for the record, I am not particularly happy doing this, but it’s necessa-”

 

“Oh, just shut up!”

 

Cinder watched the interplay with no small amount of amusement. “Clever boy,” Cinder threw them a haughty smirk. “You heard him, kids. Make a move and I’ll blow the officers to smithereens.” she glanced down. “Adam, what in the world are you waiting for?!”

 

“Just a moment,” he let his sight linger on Blake, only looking away when he realized she wouldn’t return his gaze. “You, what is your name?”

 

Jaune looked around, trying to figure out whom Adam was referring to. “Does anyone know who is he asking?”

 

Pyrrha tapped her partner’s shoulder while trying to suppress a sigh. “I think that question is for you.”

 

“...Oh,” Jaune met the black swordsman’s eyes, of that was what he’d like to think since the mask made it difficult to tell. “The name’s Jaune Arc. Short and simple, just the way I like it.”

 

No response was audible afterwards, as if the masked Faunus had been stunned into silence. “You’re... y-you’re an Arc?” Blake’s whole body stiffened and her heart began beating like an erratic drum, however improbable it sounded. Adam just didn’t _stutter_ like that. “I swear, if this is some kind of joke—are you _really_?”

 

Jaune was a bit unnerved by the reaction, but he nodded nonetheless. “For as long as I remember, yes. Is something wrong with that?”

 

Adam probably would have said more, if his slightly parted lips were any indication. Before he managed to say anything, though, Cinder once again shouted at him. “Adam, more police is coming! It won’t be long before they start shooting at us, so get your ass in here already!”

 

The supposedly stoic swordsman looked conflicted, throwing one last, if suspiciously longing look towards his previous adversary, before turning around and jumped into the Bullhead, but not before leaving one last sentence. “I’ll see you again in the immediate future, Jaune Arc.”

 

As the plane departed and drew further away from the airport of their failed operation, Cinder approached him. “What was that all about?”

 

Adam let himself slump against the wall, finally letting exhaustion take its toll. “...Nothing you should be concerned with.”

 

She didn’t seem satisfied with the answer, but ultimately decided that it wasn’t worth interrogating the Faunus as she walked away towards the cockpit.

 

Adam let his head rest on the wall while letting out a long and exhausted sigh. Internally, however, he was bouncing about in joy like a child who just received his first Christmas present. He might have failed in achieving his objective, gained very heavy injuries in the process, but in exchange, he obtained a fact that dwarfed all his achievements in the past decade. He couldn’t wait to be back in the headquarter to meet his fellow loyal White Fang, for he was bringing great news that would put in motion a great change in his organization, and in turn, the whole world.

 

It was summarized in one sentence, words that he kept repeating in his head fervently even though there was no possibility of him forgetting it, not now, and perhaps not even forever.

 

_‘He is alive.’_

He could feel a smile forming on his lips.

 

_‘His Majesty is alive.’_

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Haha, I would like to see that surprised look on your face! Some readers might have seen it coming, though I think there’s only a few because no one voiced it even once, but for those who didn’t see the foreshadowing and think this is just an ass pull from my part, please read all the way back to chapter 3 and take a look at the words of Jaune’s oldest ancestor! Man, I just love subtlety!

 

So, what do you feel about this chapter? Is it good? Is it bad? Please tell me your opinion.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	12. Ch 11 - Aftermath

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: Finally, after all the battles waging, explosions reverberating, blood splashing, swords clashing, we’re gonna end what I’d like to call ‘Monty’s Season 1 timeline’ with a very lighthearted chapter. Expect no plot advancement. No drama. No seriousness at all. Nope. Just general happiness and the usual borderline insanity.

 

Song for this chapter, from start to the end:

**\--Hyadain no Joujou Yuujou** **– (** **/watch?v=LB7kQN6uNok) AKA Nichijou OP 2--**

 

Now, without further ado, let us read!

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

**Aftermath**

 

It would be almost two days later when he was taken into the realm of consciousness again. Not by his choice, of course, because for all the fun the world could offer him, Jaune still prefer the immense delight from the act of what we would call ‘sleeping like a log hidden in the center of a very expansive forest which no man had ever ventured into’. No, he was wrenched out of his blissful dreamless sleep because whatever place he had ended up in after the world went black back in the airport was suddenly filled with noise.

 

...Well, either that or the fact that someone was bouncing on his stomach.

 

“Jauney~! Jauney, wake up~!”

 

“Get off him, you dunce! Are you trying to kill him?!”

 

“No, believe me when I said that he’s survived much, _much_ worse,” Pyrrha said with a small hint of exasperation. “You’d be surprised of the amount of effort we had to spend every morning just to wake him up.”

                                                                          

“But isn’t this a bit... overboard?” Ruby grimaced as she watched Nora abuse Jaune’s stomach with an almost childish glee.

 

“Just like Pyrrha said, he’s been subjected to worse things. I remember one particular morning when we decided that we had it and just dropped the wardrobe on him,” Ren let out a long, suffering sigh. “Yet he just slept on.”

 

“Oh, oh, should I hit him with Maghnild on the head again?”

 

“I think that would work—but no,” Pyyrha immediately added when she saw her orange haired teammate take out her positively destructive weapon. “I don’t want to risk us being thrown out of the hospital or suffer the lecture just because of collateral damage we cause trying to wake up a _sleeping_ person.”

 

“I can still remember the scolding we got from Miss Glynda that day,” Ren covered his face with both hands. “Oh, the horror.”

 

“Wait, wait, wait. When did this happen?” Yang implored.

 

Pyrrha groaned. “Remember that time when we only showed up after lunch?”

 

“Ohh~” Yang blinked. “Wait a second. We live in a room across yours. How come we never heard of this before?”

 

“You know that hopeless feeling when you drop a coin down the drain, you can’t do anything about it, and nobody can help you even if you ask anyway?” the female blonde nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly what we felt during the scolding.”

 

Nora stopped bouncing on his team leader’s stomach, as the usually chipper female warrior got a little bit pale in the face. “...It lasted so long it hurts me physically just by remembering it.”

 

“The horror.” the three chorused simultaneously.

 

“Wow, that bad, huh?” Sun, who had accompanied the gang, flinched.

 

All three Hunter-in-training whipped their heads to him, eyes eerily empty as they chorused again. “The horror.”

 

“Okay, okay, I get it! Just stop already!” they stared at him a bit more. “You’re scaring me!”

 

“And this is the guy who once went _mano a mano_ with our resident swordsman in a fight?” Yang commented while Sun scampered to hide behind Blake.

 

“Hey, mind your own damn business! You’d be unnerved too if people stared at you with... with...” he gestured wildly towards the members of Team JNPR. “...dead human eyes!”

 

“These are not dead human eyes. These are dead _fish_ eyes,” Ren responded with flat tone. “There’s a difference. I checked.”

 

“I don’t fucking care! They’re creepy!”

 

Meanwhile, Nora resumed her jump, but this time it was high enough that her head almost reached the ceiling, before bringing down the unholy wrath of her two cute little feet upon the boy still in trapped in unconsciousness.

 

The vicious attack finally succeeded, as Jaune’s cough signaled his entrance back to the world of the living.

 

“Yes!” Nora jumped back to land on the floor again. “Attempt #211, success!”

 

“211? But I thought you’ve only lived together for six months?” asked Weiss incredulously.

 

“Ahem, about that...” Ren cleared his throat. “There’s a few—okay, many occasions of him dozing off while taking a shower.”

 

“Yeah, and because we couldn’t go with him for obvious reason, Ren had to deal with it on his own... and resort to extreme measures,” Pyrrha said grimly. “Thankfully, we can extract the fee for fixing the bathroom from Jaune, so there’s that.”

 

“You destroyed the bathroom?” all occupants of the room, excluding the currently coughing Jaune and member of Team JNPR, looked at Ren with wide eyes.

 

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” then, the black haired boy gritted his teeth before letting out a very uncharacteristic growl. “I only buried his head into the wall repeatedly because he just wouldn’t. Wake. Up...!”

 

“There, there, Ren,” Nora patted his shoulder patronizingly. “We all had dark moments in our life.”

 

Thankfully, before his male teammate could go deeper into the abyss of depression, Jaune chose that moment to finally stir. “Huh, guys...?” the boy flinched as he rubbed his midriff. “Oh God, my stomach. Did I eat something strange again?” then he noticed the strange looks the gang was giving him. “Okay, why is everyone looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing, leader,” Ren put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. Then he squeezed. Hard. “Nothing at all.”

 

“Oookaay...” he was a bit disturbed by the unusual smile from his supposedly stoic teammate, but he shrugged it off as he scanned his surroundings. “So, I’m in a hospital again, huh? Haven’t been here a while.” Jaune smiled wryly as he looked towards Sun, who was trying his best to not meet the swordsman’s eyes while whistling a discordant melody. “...Not since you hit me with a car.”

 

The room’s occupants did a double take, before whipping their heads towards the monkey Faunus and began glaring at him. Pyrrha hissed with a note of venom in her voice, “You hit him with a car? How did this happen?”

 

Sun was sweating profusely, his mind racing at a hundred mile an hour trying to find an exit route, although the deadly glares convinced him that escaping would only jeopardize his wellbeing. Trying to preserve a survival chance, he decided to explain himself, “Okay, I’ll tell you, but promise to not kill me?”

 

“That depends,” Weiss crossed her arms, Myrtenaster now gripped within her fingers. “Now speak.”

 

Sun held back the desire to whimper. “My second time here, I hijacked a car trying to escape from him. Just as the car began speeding up, he jumped in front of me,” the staff wielder gulped. “I accidentally stepped on the gas and... well... simply said, I hit him.”

 

There was a short silence before Blake spoke, “You said the car was speeding up, right? How did you accidentally step on the gas if you were already accelerating?”

 

Sun had the modesty to look sheepish. “...I stepped on my other toe.”

 

“You stepped on your other—oh, of all the idiocy...!” Weiss threw up her arms before shaking her head in frustration. “Is every blonde I know an idiot?”

 

“Hey! I resent that!” Yang bristled.

 

Ruby shook her head. “Never mind about that.” she took out the bucket of flower before handing it to Jaune. “Here, a get-well gift from all of us.”

 

“Oh, flowers! How nice of you!”

 

“Yeah, I mean, hospital room always looks so bleak, what with almost everything is in white, so we figured that it needs woman’s touch to brighten up things!”

 

“Woman’s touch?” Jaune frowned. “That brings up some memories.”

 

“Oh? What memories?”

 

“Nahh, I’d rather not tell. It’s a bit confusing. I myself am still trying to make sense of it.”

 

“Now this sounds interesting,” Yang approached the bed. “C’mon, hot stuff, don’t hold back on us. Spill it.”

 

Jaune looked a bit conflicted, but the interested looks his friends were throwing at him ultimately caused him to relent. “You all know that before Beacon, I lived on my own, right?” he leaned back to make himself comfortable as everyone nodded. “Well, there was this one time when a lady moved in beside my apartment. That night, while doing patrol, there was a fire and I helped the authority in evacuating civilians. Unfortunately, my hoodie was so ruined by the fire that I was forced to go home without clothes.”

 

“I came across her when I was just unlocking the door to my apartment. Trying to be a good neighbor, I greeted her, but I saw her throwing me this... this strange look. I didn’t exactly understand, still don’t to be honest, when she said that a growing teenager like me needed a woman’s touch, whatever that meant, before inviting me to her apartment to have some refreshments.”

 

Jaune was so absorbed in his story that he didn’t notice three females in the room, knowing exactly what ‘woman’s touch’ and ‘refreshments’ meant in that context, were radiating aura of anger and jealousy, causing the others to cautiously step back in fear. “Unfortunately, I was too tired, so I refused.”

 

The oppressive atmosphere in the room was suddenly lifted, letting the others to finally suck breaths of relief.

 

“Here’s the strange part. That night, I couldn’t sleep because there was this... creaking sound coming from the lady’s room. It became even more confusing because she began screaming the landlady’s husband’s name and also... what were the other things I heard again?”

 

“Oh God...” Ruby muttered.

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what she said! How did you know?!” Ruby was now covering her reddening face while moaning weakly. “Ah yes, now I remember! Other than that, she pleaded for him to jam it in, break her in two, do her harder, turn her brain into mush, and also this viciously loud statement that she was coming, though I’m still trying to find out coming where, exactly,” Jaune paused, blissfully oblivious to the fact that his friends’ faces were now as red as tomatoes. “While the landlady’s husband just grunted with the occasional ‘you like that, huh?’ questions.”

 

“Jaune...” Pyrrha tried to stop her partner. “Jaune, I think that’s quite enough...”

 

Unfortunately for her, and in turn, for the whole lot of them, Jaune didn’t seem to hear her plea. “It went on for the whole week, and there were these particular nights when she screamed even louder, where I also heard another man’s voice beside the landlady’s husband. I had so much trouble sleeping for those few days, so when the landlady finally came back from her trip, I immediately told her about the whole thing and asked for a room change.”

 

Jaune shrugged. “She denied my demand, though. But strangely, the day after that, the new lady suddenly moved out of the apartment. Also, for whatever reason, the landlady and her husband got divorced half a week later.”

 

After Jaune finished his story, there was a few minutes of silence that was broken by Sun, who took a seat on the floor while rubbing his face. “Hoo boy...”

 

Ruby looked like she had just gotten shot with a big dose of morphine. “And with that mental picture, there goes my chance to have a good night sleep.”

 

Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora chorused together. “The horror.”

 

Yang’s and Blake’s jaws were hung open and wide while Weiss commented, her face set in a grimace, “How did the topic about ‘woman’s touch’ evolve into a sordid talk like that?”

 

“Sordid? Wait, you understand what happened?” Jaune leaned forward, his blue eyes glinting with curiosity. “Can you explain it to me? To this day, I’m still not able to piece together what exactly they were doing.”

 

“Jaune, believe me when I say that you _don’t_ want to go there.”

 

“Ehh, why~?” the swordsman whined as he looked towards the heiress with puppy eyes. “All these years, every time I asked someone to explain it to me, they always said that! Either I’m not old enough to know, or that I’d want to bleach my brain if I ever understand!”

 

Blake leaned towards Yang. “Should we tell him?”

 

“Well, it does feel kinda bad if we just leave him in the dark like this. Besides, boys his age should have known about this thing.”

 

“Oh, absolutely not!” Weiss stood in front of Jaune in a protective fashion, followed by Ruby and Pyrrha, glaring daggers at Blake and Yang. “Don’t you dare!”

 

“Yes, don’t you _dare_!” to everyone’s surprise, a new voice joined the dialogue. “If you corrupt him with that stuff, I swear I will use my authority to throw you out of Beacon within the hour!”

 

“Wait a second, I know that voice...” Jaune looked to his left side, towards the bed covered by curtain. “Master, is that you?”

 

“Hello to you, dear apprentice. Glad to know that you can always recognize me even from just my voice.”

 

“We’re in the same room this whole time?” Jaune stood up, now visibly brightening up. He walked over to his Master’s bed before drawing the curtain. “So why can’t you allow them to explai—holy crap on a cracker.”

 

Jaune trailed off from the shock that came in the form of his bedridden Master, whose whole body was covered in bandages, leaving only his face with a small bit of gray hair sticking out from the brim.

 

“What happened to you?!” Jaune asked worriedly. “I know you were badly injured, but I didn’t know it was _this_ bad!”

 

“You want to know what happened?” Ozpin gestured with his head, drawing attention to Sun who was in the process of sneaking out of the room. “ _He_ happened.”

 

“SUN,” Jaune growled in a low voice, causing the monkey Faunus to flinch. “Turn away from the door.” Sun seemed to ponder the order for a second before shaking his head, looking scared out of his wit. “Sun, you might have already tasted some of my punishments, but trust me when I say you haven’t seen it _all_.”

 

This time, Sun actually whimpered.

 

“...Sun, either you explain yourself or I’ll let find out the _length_ of what I can do to make you suffer.”

 

The monkey Faunus’s entire frame shook as he turned around, tears glistening in his eyes. “There was—t-there were just some small mishaps, okay? Nothing too bad...”

 

“ _Small mishaps_?” Ozpin muttered. “ _Nothing too bad_?” now he growled. “I have one question for you, son. How in the hell did you get us on the second floor of Vale Central Plaza?!”

 

Sun rubbed the back of his head while trying not to keel over from the intensity of Jaune’s glare. “Well, it’s very simple, really. I was on the freeway, missed the exit, flew off the overpass, crashed through the plaza’s window, caused a little fiasco, and well... you know, one thing led to another.”

 

“And by one thing led to another, you mean we ended up crashing into a pet store!”

 

“Well, yeah, but no animals were ultimately harmed!”

 

“I was left inside while you jumped out of the car!” Ozpin shouted back heatedly. “Look at the hideous creature I’ve become!”

 

Sun would have tried to defend himself hadn’t Weiss interrupted. “How are you still here?” she stared at him in suspicion. “By all rights, you should have been thrown in jail for causing such a mess!”

 

“Where do you think I’ve been for the last two days?” Sun replied. “Thankfully, the officers gave me a pardon for helping with the whole White Fang mess, so I was released much earlier than supposed to.”

 

Sun froze up when he felt an ominous presence growing in the room. He gulped before glancing towards the source. The swordsman clad in hospital gown now had a shadow cast over his face, hiding his entire expression while leaving a glowing Cheshire cat grin visible, his fingers twitching in a remarkably creepy fashion as if itching to strangle a certain someone.

 

“Suuunn Wuukoooongg...”

 

Tears fell from Sun’s eyes.

 

...

 

A high-pitched scream rang and reverberated in the building, drawing the attention of the whole floor’s occupants. When they peeked out their doors to find out what was going on, they were immediately served with a view of a blonde boy with a tail running for dear life while being chased by another blonde boy whose hands were holding a couple of syringes and scalpels obtained from Lord-knows-where.

 

“I TRUSTED YOU, SUN! I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU FAILED ME!”

 

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!”

 

“GET BACK HERE SO I CAN CASTRATE YOU!”

 

“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!”

 

“I SAID GET BACK HERE, YOU FRIGGIN’ MONKEY! OH THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARE I’LL DO WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!”

 

“NOOOO~!”

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: I was a bit surprised when I reread this chapter to spot typos or the like. I think it’s the first time I laughed at my own jokes. And I laugh hard. Like out loud. My brother even saw it fit to introduce my head to a five-inch thick, hardcover dictionary with utmost loving. Now I’ve got a big bump on the head and I blame this chapter!

 

I’d appreciate it very much and grovel before your feet if you can tell me your opinion!

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	13. Omake - Elimination Round

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: This chapter acts as a bridge or prelude for the next plot, while simultaneously serves as an omake where I tried my hands on writing a heartwarming chapter.  Whether this attempt is successful or not, well, I’ll just let the readers decide that. 

 

Song for this chapter:

**\--Gold, Full version – (/watch?v=kWxwTPLOCsg)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Omake**

**Elimination Round**

 

Jaune watched the boy with spiky golden mane sulk as he took a seat beside the leader of Team JNPR, roar of applause that followed him as he walked out of the arena still ringing in the air, a very visible frown marring his visage as he glared at him with what seemed to be irritation.

 

The swordsman sighed. “...What is it now, Sun?”

 

Sun stared at his self-claimed rival some more, outright ignoring the noise filled with admiration that was directed at him. “Why didn’t you participate?”

 

Jaune sighed. “I already told you why, didn’t I? How many times do we have to have this conversat-”

 

“I’m not finished,” Sun raised his hand. “For almost three years I hauled my ass and trained like a madman so I can be at your level. For almost three years, I’ve committed myself to all manners of trainings. You name it; I’ve done it.” The aforementioned hand clenched into a fist. “I’ve even behaved myself for the last few days so I can be in this tournament. I want to test myself. I want to measure my mettle. I want to know how much I’ve grown from the day you beat me into the ground.”

 

Sun growled. “I joined this tournament thinking that I would find a challenge, Arc. But they-” Sun pointed at the arena he had just left, where the medical staff began carrying out plethora of unconscious bodies to be treated. With how Sun had vented his frustration in the arena with so much gusto, it was even quite appropriate to call them the victim of Sun’s ire, although they _were_ lucky enough to only be knocked out without any broken bone or flying teeth. Then again, even the whole ‘luck’ thing could be put into question; after all, the lottery they drew had caused them to be trapped with the peeved monkey Faunus in the tournament’s elimination round. “-are weak.”

 

The monkey Faunus thrust his finger to the other boy’s chest. “And you are strong.”

 

A question mark and a sweatdrop appeared on the blonde swordsman’s head. “Sorry, I don’t believe I follow.”

 

Sun clutched a handful of his hair in frustration. “What I’m trying to say is that I want to fight you again! Just the two of us! One on one! With weapons or barehanded, I don’t even care, as long I get to face you in a legal stage with nothing to hold us back!”

 

Jaune raised both palm at chest level in an attempt to placate the bristling Faunus. “Hey, come on, don’t be mad. It’s not like I planned this.” and it was true. He had just gotten released from the hospital the day before, and the doctor, the same one who had always taken care of him whenever he had a reason to go to hospital, almost threw a fit when he asked if it was okay for him to participate in the Vytal Tournament. As it turned out, while he was healthy enough to leave, his body and internal organs were deemed still too ‘tender’ that even a slight damage might accidentally cause him to be hospitalized again. The good doctor had even stated that it was nothing short of a miracle for him to go through what he did without a lasting injury.

 

He had tried to argue, but whatever complains in his head had died in his throat when the man in white coat outright threatened him that if he tried to go against his warning, the doctor would pull some strings and chained him to the hospital’s bed until he was completely healed.

 

Seriously, was it just him or everyone he knew, even the distant or new ones, seemed to turn viciously overprotective when it came to his safety and wellbeing?

 

“Besides, the way I see it, it’s now easier for you to win. And you did promise to pay your debt to me from the tournament’s prize.”

 

Sun let out a long, suffering sigh. “You don’t have to remind me,” he leaned back on his chair. “It’s just that, after everything we went through last week, this feels pretty goddamn anticlimactic.”

 

“Well, comparing fending off a terrorist organization and criminals that are pretty much feared by the whole Remnant to fighting a bunch of Hunter-in-training is hardly fair, now is it?” Jaune chuckled before picking himself up. “Come on, I want to see how everyone else is doing.”

 

Sun stood up with a sigh. “You act like you’re not even interested in my fight. I did beat them all pretty quickly, after all.”

 

Jaune threw his companion a side-glance before cooing at him playfully as one would a child. “Yes, you did good. I’m so proud of you.”

 

The baby-talk caused Sun to glare at Jaune again, although there was no real heat behind his green eyes as he punched the swordsman’s shoulder. “I really hate you, you know that?”

 

Jaune laughed aloud. “I hate you too, Sun.”

 

Jaune’s bright and cheerful laughter penetrated his sensitive hearing that it rang just a little bit, yet it proved contagious enough because Sun found himself chuckling alongside the blonde swordsman not even a second afterward. He would find out later that despite all their bickering and fights, Sun couldn’t imagine a world where he never met Jaune. And no matter how the other blonde could annoy him like no one’s business, Sun found his childish smile brighten the world like a little sun.

 

Sun wondered if this was how it felt to have a little brother. To have that person who was annoying, irritating, and sometimes too much trouble for his worth, and yet, you couldn’t help but love him anyway.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Their (Jaune and Sun) relationship is bit complicated in a way that it fits but also subverts quite a number of tropes. First of all, they started off as enemies, which over time, evolved into Vitriolic Best Buds. They snark at each other, bicker, and fight, but in time of great need, they are Bash Brothers who will take a bullet for the other without even a moment of hesitation, and it shows that They Really Do Care for Each Other.

 

The subversion is shown when you consider it from sibling’s angle. And before you ask, no, I don’t intend to make them as brothers who is Separated at Childbirth or Long Lost Relative. They are completely unrelated by blood, just that their relationship resembles two siblings.

 

For one, Jaune is actually more competent and responsible compared to Sun since he’s better as a fighter and more than once has had to deal with the mess Sun caused. However, while Sun is the one to gets into (and causes) trouble most often and the annoying one (subversion of Annoying Younger Sibling), when it comes down to it, he is always the one who gets worried because Jaune keeps throwing himself into danger and, as I’ve shown you in previous chapters, gets scolded by Sun as a result. Also, while it is true that they both have their fair share of saving each other in numerous occasions, it is actually Sun who is shown to have a _very_ protective streak towards Jaune and fits the Big Brother Instinct trope, especially since Jaune is a bit too reckless for his own good. Heck, if you want proof, you can ask Roman just how much _rage_ Sun was showing when he found out that the criminal had hurt his little brother.

 

Hm. Now that I think about it, while there’s still a few differences, their relationship actually has similarities to the one Elric siblings from Fullmetal Alchemist have.

 

Any opinion you can give me? Did it manage to warm your heart, even if just a little bit? I’ll be sure to appreciate any comment.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	14. Ch 12 - Shattered

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: And the plot moves forward once again! Yay!

 

Just need to drop background music here. I think it’s fitting.

**\--Sakura Drops – Piano Cover (/watch?v=g6B3VE1SQXU)—**

**\--Sadness and Sorrow – Piano Cover (/watch?v=uuCFRfKv5Ww)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Shattered**

 

Jaune exhaled as softly as possible, trying to make as little noise as he was capable in fear that he gave his position away.

 

Six months in Beacon and he had almost forgotten one of the rules he made for himself in his survival training: do not draw attention at any cost. Sure, he never ventured this deep into the Forever Fall even in his worst day, but that was no excuse for him to slip his vigilance and caused a Beowolf to home in on him.

 

The fact about Beowolf was that when one spotted a prey, its pack would usually follow without fail. Where one was, the others wouldn’t be far away. And now, here he was, perched above a tree, trying to be as small as he could, with a prayer in his heart that the numerous canine Grimm in the vicinity wouldn’t caught his scent.

 

He could have just taken care of them just as easily, but he had only been in this forest for five hours. Preserving strength and stamina was essential for survival, especially since his destination was still very far away. So unless it was an absolute necessity, he would try to avoid encounter as much as possible.

 

When silence once again reigned in the area, Jaune peered down and found that the Beowolves had finally left. He waited a few more minutes before scaling down the tree, his eyes immediately catching crumpled grass that indicated what course they had taken, taking a few more moment to observe other signs just in case before making his way towards the opposite route in order to distance himself from the hunting group of Grimm.

 

He took out his Scroll and opened the GPS to check his progress, mildly displeased to see that he wasn’t even halfway through his journey. He’d like to believe that he had made good time, but it seemed navigating through a forest filled with red trees and wretched monsters further than where even seasoned Hunters wouldn’t go without companion was proving to be a little bit harder than he had initially thought.

 

Well, it wasn’t like he could just ask his friends to accompany him in this trip. All of them still had the tournament to worry about, and this particular adventure was a bit too personal after all.

 

Jaune stiffened when he heard a growl sound in the air, causing the swordsman to curse internally. By Lord, why was he so careless today? How could he forget that Beowolves would sometimes leave their prey alone only to set ambush afterwards? Thanks to his lack of vigilance, now he had two groups of Grimm flanking him to deal with!

 

He pocketed the Scroll with one hand and drew Crocea Mors with the other, a resigned sigh leaving his lips before saying a few words that made him wonder if Sun had been rubbing off on him.

 

“Ahh, screw it.”

 

And to think, it all started with a mail.

 

...

 

**\--Sakura Drops – Piano Cover (/watch?v=g6B3VE1SQXU)--**

 

He received it in the middle of celebration his friends held after they had managed to pass the elimination round of Vytal Tournament with flying colors. It had no name and no return address. In suspicion, Jaune tried to trace its sender using simple hacking ability, but whoever it was had used a few proxies to send the message and was good enough to not leave any additional breadcrumbs for him to follow. The message only had two lines in it; the first one was a map coordinate that pointed to a location deep inside Forever Fall where only a few had gone before because it was intensely populated by Grimm.

 

But what caught his attention the most was the second line. It only had two sentences, yet it shook him far more that he would be willing to admit.

 

 _“Remember them,”_ it said. _“Remember your parents.”_

 

He had scoffed at the time, thinking it was merely a scam. Yet deep into the night, Jaune found himself unable to fall asleep even long after his teammates had fallen into deep slumber. Reading the message again had gotten him thinking. The very first memory he had was of when he was already five years old, lying by a riverbank and clutching his family heirloom against his chest. He was already capable of speech so it stood to reason that he must have learned how somewhere, but he wasn’t able to recall anything from before he lived in that village he had grown up in. He had always thought of himself as an orphan, but could there be something that indicated otherwise? Something hidden in that five years of memory he had lost?

 

Before he knew it, he was already dressed in his chosen gear and his hands were in the process of strapping Crocea Mors to his waist. As he reached the doorknob, he stopped to take one look at his sleeping teammates. Pyrrha and Ren were sleeping like usual, face peaceful and breathing even, and even Nora seemed to be calm enough to only mumble a bit, obviously living another one of her crazy dreams. A thought of waking them up and asking them to come with him crossed his mind, but he quickly shot down the idea. They had enough to deal with as it was, what with the tournament and all, and he wasn’t sure if he was high enough on their list for them to be bothered by his personal problem.

 

As he opened the door and walked outside, he felt a lump in his throat. He glanced back one last time, drinking in the view of his friends’ faces almost greedily. He felt like he should say his thanks, for taking care of him and for being so patient with him, even though he was just a useless and socially inept boy who most likely wasn’t worth all the trouble he had caused. His gaze lingered on his partner for a few seconds longer before looking forward again and leaving.

 

At the time, he didn’t know why the word ‘leaving’ felt so appropriate.

 

~•~

 

Almost two days later, Jaune collapsed near a river. Dirt, blood, and numerous wounds covered his exhausted body. While he had estimated that getting to his destination would have only taken sixteen hours at most, he had not taken into account a King Taijitu catching him in surprise in the middle of a night. Although he had managed to come out the encounter with only a few cuts and bruises, if only because he had been a bit disoriented after being forced to wake up abruptly, he would find out later that he had accidentally dropped his Scroll only to find the damn thing crushed under the dead Grimm.

 

From there, everything had gone to hell. Although he was still able to get his bearings by looking at the sun (or moon and constellation if it was nighttime), the forest became even more swarmed with monster from that point on. It was as if he couldn’t walk one click without encountering a Grimm, thus forcing him to take a detour frequently, and even that apparently didn’t help much either if the number of ambushes and traps he sprang up was any indication. No wonder the Hunter Association stated, in no uncertain terms, to take at least two teams if anyone ever wanted to pass a certain line in the forest.

 

Yet, Jaune couldn’t stop now. By rough estimation, he should be only a few more clicks away from his objective, and turning back now would be too dangerous considering his supply had run out just a couple of hours ago. He had bled for this particular journey, and he refused to exert so much effort only for it to become a waste of time, not after coming this far.

 

Besides, he wasn’t sure if he could survive the trip back.

 

With that in mind, Jaune slowly crawled to the river to moisten his parched throat. His canteen had been destroyed earlier in the morning when a Major Ursa cornered him in the cave he had used to rest, and the last twelve hours had been spent without food or water because he had been too preoccupied with trying to avoid deadly engagements.

 

Jaune passed the next half an hour just staying put, muscles perfectly still, too tired to move yet his grip on Crocea Mors never faltered just in case another Grimm decided to find its next food around the river.

 

After he was sure he had enough strength that his legs wouldn’t give way, Jaune stood up with a heavy grunt. He took a moment to observe the sky and the position of trees’ shadow, before walking towards the setting sun.

 

...

 

Night had fallen again for some time when Jaune finally came across a huge steel gate that towered ominously a few feet above his head. It was bereft of any intricate engraving except the two arcs that he recognized as his Clan symbol. In astonishment, Jaune approached the metal structure and raised one hand to touch the symbol.

 

He nearly jumped back in fright when a mechanical sound rang from the gate, followed by a shrill grating noise as the gate opened to reveal a suspension bridge. The boy became even more shocked when a disembodied voice reached his ears as he passed the gate. “Welcome back, Young Master.”

 

Honestly, in his current situation, rather than surprising him, the stoic voice that seemed to come from whatever contraption hidden in the gate really disturbed him to no end. In fact, he was so frightened that he completely missed the implication of what it had said, as the boy wondered if he wouldn’t be as scared if only it wasn’t so dark, only to jump again when the gate closed behind him with a creaking sound that shook him to the core.

 

As he focused on the view before him again, it revealed that the traditional suspension bridge had been built over a very deep ravine that seemed to have no bottom, causing a very unpleasant memory from way back in the Beacon Initiation test to resurface again. Jaune took a look around, body tensing as he made sure that this time there was no Death Stalker lying in wait to drag him into the bottomless abyss before finally deciding to cross the bridge, if only to reach the other side before the suspense caused him to have heart attack or something.

 

With every passing second, the idea of turning back seemed to become more and more appealing. And just as he thought that, a powerful gale crashed into the bridge, causing it to sway to and fro. Jaune’s already paling face twisted into a terrified visage when a clap of lightning brightened the area for a brief moment before it was swiftly followed by a deafening thunder.

 

Jaune choked back a scream as the raging wind almost tipped him over the edge. The terror heightened even further when he heard the tattletale sound of rope snapping from in front of him. Jaune’s mind ran a hundred mile an hour until it settled on a decision. He drew a mighty breath, lowered himself into a crouch, and broke into a sprint, almost tripping on one plank that broke under his foot, before using all strength he had to leap forward. He barely managed to catch onto the cliff’s edge as the rope that supported the bridge finally snapped and sent it crashing to the opposite cliff.

 

Jaune pulled himself up, letting himself lying sprawled on the ground while trying to calm his erratically beating heart. Let it be known that universe must have hated him or something as darkness descended to the area when a dark cloud blocked the moonlight, prompting Jaune to groan at his progressively worsening luck.

 

He picked himself up and peered towards the broken bridge, wondering how he would be able to return from this thrice-damned adventure of his, because as far as he could tell, the ravine seemed to stretch so far it actually separated him and the mainland.

 

“Well,” he shrugged. “I suppose it can’t get any worse than this.”

 

Jaune yelped when the ground under him suddenly cracked, his reflex automatically took command of his body and ordered it to leap back.

 

“Alright,” he croaked out, because Dust be damned, he would not let out a whimper. “No more tempting fate. I get it.”

 

The sky rumbled once more as if the heavens itself gave a grunt of approval. Jaune held back the desire to roll his eyes in fear of inviting a bolt of lightning to strike him and causing his hair to stand up and go all spiky like some sort of Super Saiyan mode.

 

It was funny when it happened in TV, not so much when you were on the receiving end.

 

“Okay then...” he turned around to find the darkening forest path. A tiniest hint of hesitation flickered across his features before his face went stony. “Time to finish this.”

                                                     

He took a step forward, the darkness slowly enveloping him as he disappeared behind the shade of night.

 

~•~

 

“Does none of you really know where he’s gone off to?!”

 

“Weiss, please. You don’t have to yell at them.”

 

“Well, what else am I supposed to do?! Chide them gently?!” the heiress rounded on her partner. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if they had just told us from yesterday in the first place!”

 

“I’m sorry...” Pyrrha whispered, her voice cracking, and it broke their hearts to see how the strong female warrior’s eyes were tearing up. “We didn’t know—we thought that he...”

 

“Okay, okay. Pyrrha, listen to me. Nobody’s blaming you, okay? Or any one of you, for that matter,” Yang stepped up to the red haired girl and put her hands on her shoulder in an attempt to soothe the visibly shaken up girl. “We just need to know what really happened.”

 

“That’s exactly it; we don’t know,” Ren spoke from behind Pyrrha, a deep frown settling on the usually stoic boy’s face. “He wasn’t in his bed in the morning after we had that celebration, even though for six months he’s never failed to be the last one to wake up. We tried to contact him using our Scroll, but it merely notified us that connection couldn’t be established or that he was out of range. We initially thought that he only had something to do and left early, but to this moment, he never showed up again.” The black haired boy looked away, trying to hide the pain in his eyes. “It’s like he just... disappeared.”

 

“Shit.” Sun growled from the side. “I should have known something was up when I found out that he didn’t come to watch your matches for two days straight.”

 

“What do you mean?” Nora was beginning to get frantic. “D-did we do something wrong? Is Jauney mad at us? Oh my God, what if he left because he hates us now?!”

 

“What? No! How the hell did you even get that idea?!” Sun stood up. “Come on, guys, haven’t you seen the way he look at you all?”

 

When they all only threw him confused looks, Sun threw up his arms. “Oh, this is fucking unbelievable!” he scoffed. “You really don’t know!”

 

“Okay, Sun, you’re really not helping. What are you talking about?” before Sun opened his mouth, Blake immediately raised one hand. “But without the f-word, please. One more of that and I’ll shave the fur off your tail.”

 

Sun glared at the cat Faunus while she only gave him a flat stare. A short moment later, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, you’re looking at this the wrong way. You people are talking as if the fault lies within you. Well, newsflash, ladies and gentleman, it doesn’t,” he saw the bewildered looks and held back the desire to curse aloud at their obliviousness. “Look, I admit that I’ve only met him in a few occasions, but as long as I’ve known the guy, that idiot had always kept his distance with people. Once, I asked around, and I found out that in the seven years he lived in this city, he had never had a friend. Not even one.”

 

“But... what about the police officers? And not to mention the way you two act...” Ruby asked confusedly.

 

“Those police are merely acquaintances. On one side, they do like him, yes, but on the other side, he never actually stayed with them long enough to bond or for him to think that they have something other than professional camaraderie,” he pointed at himself. “And me? Well, no matter how much I’d like to think that we have something close to a friendship, I, for starters, do not live here! Do you really think someone you meet on half a year basis can create a connection that easily?”

 

“And then, he met you lot,” he gestured to the group of seven teenagers. “In only six months, you’ve achieved something I once thought as impossible. You became his friends, and trust me, no one in this entire city can claim the same,” for a moment, something resembling jealousy flashed on the blonde boy’s face. But it passed quickly enough that they thought they only imagined it. “I’ve seen how the idiot’s eyes light up whenever he sees you. That stupid smile he always had whenever you guys were around? The first four times I’ve been to this city, I have seen him smile like that only to that crazy Master of his. And this is not the kind of polite smile he gives to acquaintances. We’re talking about a genuine, as childish as it may be, smile he reserves for the people he considers precious.”

 

“So... u-um...” Weiss stammered. “What you mean to say is... that he likes us?”

 

“...Seriously? I went through all that embarrassing explanation and the only conclusion you could come up with is that ‘he likes you’?” he threw the heiress a disbelieving look. Good God, these people were no less dense than the idiot blonde was! “Didn’t you hear what I asked just two minutes ago? Come on, you’ve spent _months_ with the idiot! How could you not see it?! He thinks _the world_ of you guys! And among tens of thousands people living in this city, there’s only one other person he holds in such high regards!” he sighed in frustration. “For Lord’s sake, is everyone in Vale as thick as a brick or is it just you people in particular?!”

 

However, the gang was all too shocked by the revelation that Sun’s mild insult passed over their head.

 

“I-I never knew...” Pyrrha whispered, eyes wide and glistening with tears. “All this time, I never knew...”

 

“So he didn’t leave because of us?”

 

Sun looked at the orange haired girl and answered with a very short, straightforward reply. “No.” he crossed his arms. “Whatever reason he had to just go like that, I can assure you that it has nothing to do with you guys. And don’t you dare think otherwise.”

 

“You know...” Blake mused. “For all that explanation, it didn’t really have anything to help us pinpointing the cause of Jaune’s disappearance.”

 

Before Sun had the chance to retort, Ruby spoke first. “No, I think it did...” all pair of eyes went to dark-red haired girl. “Jaune didn’t leave because of us, and if what Sun said is true, Jaune probably wouldn’t have left unless it was something very important. And there’s only one person in this entire city whose words Jaune obeys without question.”

 

They all looked at each other, before saying two words simultaneously, “Headmaster Ozpin.”

 

...

 

“Alright, you old geezer, fess up!” Sun unceremoniously barged into the room. “Where in the fucking hell did you send that idiot Arc to?!”

 

The grey haired man, who was reading a book at the time, merely diverted his gaze towards the group of teenagers rushing into his hospital room. His expression didn’t change, and the only proof to show that he was surprised was a slight widening of his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

 

“You know damn well what I’m talking about!” Sun shouted. Jaune’s whereabouts and wellbeing was a matter of grave importance to him, so subtlety be damned! “Arc’s disappeared two days ago without so much as a message! And if there’s anyone who has the control to make him do so, it’s you!”

 

Ozpin’s eyes narrowed, and suddenly, a presence of a vicious predator filled the room. “...What do you mean my dear apprentice’s disappeared?” his stare sharpened even further. All the teenagers stiffened, feeling like they were being watched by a hungry eagle when the older man gave them a concise order. “Explain.”

 

The low, baritone voice did well to deepen their fear, and the Headmaster’s apparent confusion did nothing to help alleviating apprehension. However, despite their shaken state, the students did their best at explaining the matter to the increasingly irate teacher. By the end of their explanation, they felt that if stares could kill, they would be dead a hundred times over by now.

 

“And you waited for two whole days before reporting this to me?” Ozpin’s voice was quiet, but it was filled with such rage that the gang wondered if they should take a hike right then and there, and probably skip the town in the process. However, they also didn’t miss the unmistakable worry and fear hidden within all the anger.

 

“B-but, if it’s not you, then what caused him to go?” Pyrrha was starting to panic again.

 

“I don’t know,” Ozpin answered, his brows furrowed together in a frown. “This is unprecedented.”

 

To hear that from the man who had been there for the majority of their blonde friend’s life didn’t exactly make them feel any better. Then they saw him take out his black Scroll and began making calls.

 

By the end of it, they were stunned, their jaws hanging wide open in astonishment. The man had contacted the head of police force, Vale’s Hunter Branch, Beacon’s staff, and some other people whose first names greatly reminded them of high-ranking officials in the kingdom’s government itself.

 

Who could blame them to have such reaction? The man had just basically gotten Vale’s _entire_ authorities to help him look for one guy.

 

Ozpin noticed the wide-eyed look the kids were giving him. “They all owe me small favors. I deem it’s time to make good of that.”

 

“S-small favors?” oh, there was no doubt in Weiss’s mind that was only the man’s modesty talking. After all, you couldn’t get the most powerful people in Vale to basically being drop whatever they were doing to assist you with only ‘small favors’. “A-all of it... just for Jaune?”

 

Ozpin merely gave the Schnee Company’s heiress a flat stare that somehow held more emotion than they ever expected from the man. “He is my boy.”

 

The sentence, as short and simple as it was, told them that if necessary, the man would have even dragged the whole Remnant in a heartbeat if it were for Jaune. And the amazing thing about it was that they couldn’t help but think that Ozpin could probably pull it off if he were so inclined.

 

~•~

 

**\--Sadness and Sorrow – Piano Cover (/watch?v=uuCFRfKv5Ww)--**

 

Jaune stood unmoving in the middle of a ruin that once could have been a warm, homely house. The light in his eyes had dimmed to the point they were now only two orbs of frozen azure.

 

The heavens above roared like a cry of vengeance as the boy brought up his arms, looking at his calloused palms with eyes bereft of any emotion. The lightning clapped overheard, and in the brief moment of clarity provided by the harsh light, Jaune saw his hands transformed smaller into child’s appendage.

 

And they were covered in sickening, crimson liquid.

 

In a flash, it was gone. Jaune let his arms fall before looking up into the dark sky, the moon had long gone into hiding as if it couldn’t stand to watch the sheer morbidity of it. Heavy droplets began falling from above as if the gods themselves wept as they watched the boy slowly breaking into pieces.

 

Jaune let his entire frame soaked by the sorrowful rain, yet he knew it could never erase the taint on his soul, for not even all the good in this world could clean the stain.

 

He remembered. All of it.

 

Now it all made sense. All the loneliness and sadness and pain... all the suffering he had endured. It wasn’t cruelty, far from it.

 

It was a punishment. A justified cost he had to pay for the sin he had committed.

 

Jaune walked to the center of the room, settling himself on the charred wooden floor. The boy hugged his knees to his chest, and just stared forward with eerily blank eyes.

 

Among the bland rain water, Jaune felt something fall from his eyes into his slightly parted lips. However, it wasn’t that salty flavor of tears he tasted on his tongue.

 

It was the coppery tang of blood.

 

And thus, the boy, once again, _shattered_.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: I won’t say much, just need to state that I really don’t know to rate it good or bad myself, so please let me know what you think of the chapter.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	15. Ch 13 - Revelation

**Galerians, in.**

 

 

There’s a slight change in background music. So here you go.

**\--Sadness and Sorrow – Violin Cover (/watch?v=mF3DCa4TbD0)--**

**\--Yui – Truth and Love (/watch?v=uclH0DYUzGA)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Revelation**

 

Sun pushed himself upright from his prone position with great effort, ragged breathing coming out from between his lips as his sight blurred for one second. He only had time to inhale one more mouthful of night air when his instinct once again screamed at him to dodge.

 

Yet his body refused to move, and he was forced to watch helplessly as a sword appeared in his vision with a terrifyingly loud sound of cutting air. He felt like he just saw his life flash before his eyes before someone wearing a red cloak conjured into being by his side, rose petals scattering in the air as a gigantic scythe swung to block the slash that came far too close for comfort to decapitating his head.

 

Someone grabbed his collar before Sun found himself thrown backward as two figures appeared, a boy wielding twin guns and a redhead with a shield and a spear, to assist the scythe user. An exchange of blows took place for all but ten seconds, the three young fighters barely managing to fend off their adversary’s swift attacks, before the sword user once again leapt back from the confrontation and fazed out of existence by blending in the shadow.

 

Sun cursed at his current situation while trying to gain some semblance of energy back to his body. It was one thing to fight against a sword-wielding warrior. It was another matter entirely when said warrior was as skilled and powerful as they come, and had also let go of every restraint and went after them with the intent to kill.

 

Sun watched the battle transpire once again, a sense of hopelessness and despair filling his tightening chest.

 

He knew he shouldn’t even be pondering this, but with how his survival instinct continuously telling him to turn back and just _run away_ , he couldn’t help but think that their defeat was within the realm of inevitability.

 

~•~

 

After twenty minutes of doing nothing but pacing about in the hospital room, they finally saw Ozpin receive several messages and browse through the reports with the kind of expertise you could only expect from someone who had a huge amount of time spent doing desk job and paperwork.

 

At least once it your life, there was that one time when you knew something was horribly wrong. The heightening sense of dread, coiling snakes writhing about in your stomach, would ravage your mind and throw you inside a pit of apprehension that shook your world to the core.

 

And yet, as they watched the current event unfold, the group of teenagers couldn’t help but believe they were looking at those feelings in the rearview mirror, for the supposedly implacable man who was notorious for never losing his wit even in the direst situation, now held the expression that sent ice tumbling down their throats and straight into their stomachs.

 

“No, no, no...” his face was pale, his features twisted into the kind of expression one would expect from a man witnessing doomsday. “This can’t be. Thiscantbethiscantbethiscantbe...”

 

“...Headmaster?” even Ruby couldn’t help but jolt in shock when the older man whipped his head towards her, terror written clearly on his visage as he began breathing harder.

 

“...I have to get to him,” Ozpin frantically scrambled from the bed and fell unceremoniously into the floor. He didn’t even seem to remember about his broken legs as he tried to crawl his way towards the door, his black Scroll lay forgotten on the bed. “I have to get to him!”

 

“Whoa, watch it, old man!” Sun immediately kneeled in front of the panicking Headmaster, hands grabbing his shoulder in an attempt to stop him from moving. “What the hell is wrong with you?! You’re still injured!”

 

Ozpin directed his frantic eyes to the monkey Faunus. “You don’t understand! I have to get to him! He must not reach that place at any cost!”

 

Sun’s own green eyes widened in realization. “Is this about Arc?” he asked worriedly, but the momentary distraction proved detrimental as he almost lost his grip when the man began struggling against his hold. “Oi, old geezer, cut it out!” Sun shouted, shaking the grey haired man to snap him out of his apparent delirium. “You’re fucking injured, dammit! Thrashing around like this won’t do us any good!” when the man didn’t seem to hear him, Sun reared one hand before slapping him in the face. “Snap out of it already, old man!”

 

The slap did seem to help Ozpin to gain some measure of calmness. Blake immediately followed by grabbing the man’s hand and squeezed it. “Headmaster, you need to take deep breaths. Don’t think; just focus on breathing,” thankfully for them, the elder Hunter listened to the instruction. “Just like that, one breath in, one breath out. That’s good.” Blake observed Ozpin’s face carefully, speaking again only when his pupils stopped dilating. ”Listen to me, Headmaster. We can help, but we need you to explain what is going on.”

 

Instead of gathering around the shaken older man, Yang had the good mind to pick up the black Scroll neglected on the bed. On it was the map of Vale, with a few dots lining up from the location of Beacon Academy that stopped somewhere in the center of Forever Fall.

 

“What the hell...?” she muttered.

 

“What is it, Yang?” Ruby asked.

 

“Ah, this is how Beacon keeps track of the students, right?” the blonde Huntress-in-training turned the Scroll around so everyone could see it. “Something like recording our position every hour from the tracker imbedded inside Academy-issued Scroll, I think?”

 

“Yes, our school does have something like that,” Pyrrha stood up, Yang handing her the Scroll as she approached. “Wait a second, what is Jaune doing so deep in Forever Fall?”

 

“He’s trying to get to his old house,” the answer came from Ozpin, who had finally gained back his composure. “We cannot let him get there. Not at any cost.”

 

“Why?” Ren frowned in alarm. “What’s in that place?”

 

They all suddenly had a lump in their throats when the grey haired man looked up with pained eyes. “...Things that made Jaune lost five years of memories.”

 

There was a long silence as most of them tried to understand what that information meant. However, before anyone could ask for more elaboration, two persons suddenly sprang into action.

 

“Can you give us the coordinate?” Blake briskly asked while holding out her Scroll to the Headmaster.

 

Beside her, Weiss had her own Scroll in hand and in the process of making a call. “It’s me. How fast can you get me a Bullhead? It’s an emergency.” she ignored the bewildered looks her friends were throwing at her. “Make that five minutes. I’ll be waiting on Vale General Hospital’s roof.” She seemed to ponder for about a second before adding, “Please note that I will have you fired if it comes late. Thank you.” She whirled around, expression hard as she regarded her Faunus teammate. “Our means of transport will arrive shortly. Do you have the coordinate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Come on, then. We don’t have much time.”

 

She was about to make her leave when Ozpin grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, and was a bit surprised when she saw unadulterated desperation in the man’s features. “...Please bring back my boy.”

 

Her face softened. She grabbed the Headmaster’s hand and squeezed softly. “We will.”

 

...

 

“Weiss, wait up!”

 

“Don’t fall behind, you dunce! Didn’t I say we don’t have much time?!”

 

“We heard you, but can’t you at least explain what the hell is going on?!”

 

The heiress stopped climbing the stair and turned around to face her partner. “I’ll make this short,” Ruby was just opening her mouth when she cut her off. “So don’t _interrupt_.”

 

**\--Sadness and Sorrow – Violin Cover (/watch?v=mF3DCa4TbD0)--**

 

Weiss’s stern expression caused Ruby to nod meekly. Weiss glanced around to make sure the group had their attention on her before she began speaking. “Twelve years ago, there was an unsolved case of a mansion burned down to the ground that was supposed to house a family of three. When the authority got there, the house had all but collapsed from the fire, but there was no body to be found. They did, however, find traces of blood, and a lot of other clues to point out that it was not an accident.” numerous pairs of eyes widened at the same time, but none of their owners said anything. “From the amount of proof they found, they had no choice but to assume that there was no survivor.”

 

Yang furrowed her brows. “This is the first time I hear that story.”

 

Weiss snorted in response. “The detail was never disclosed to public, but as the Schnee Company’s heiress, I heard about a few things here and there.”

 

“Alright, that’s dandy and all, but how does all that relate to our idiot?” Sun asked.

 

Instead of Weiss, however, the answer came from Blake this time. “Don’t all of you know about Jaune’s childhood?” everyone flinched at the reminder. “If you remember closely, Jaune told us that he’d lived in that village for three years, and Mr. Ozpin found him in his eight birthdays. That means he only began living there sometime when he was five years old,” she paused the let it sink in. “That was twelve years ago.”

 

Blake didn’t mention the fact that White Fang’s change of leadership also occurred twelve years ago, and how she felt that this certain incident also had a relation to that particular topic. She chose to withhold the information because it would not do them any good. Not at the moment, anyway.

 

Pyrrha’s vivid green eyes widened. “Hold on, so Jaune is...?”

 

Blake nodded grimly. “He is the sole survivor of that incident.”

 

“So when Headmaster Ozpin said that Jaune would find things that made him lose five years of memory...”

 

“Psychogenic amnesia, memory loss caused by severe psychological trauma,” Weiss answered Ren’s question. “Whatever happened in that place, it’s safe to assume that it was so traumatic for Jaune to completely repress any part of his memories to prevent him from remembering the incident,” her expression turned dark. “However, considering the amount of information gathered, I think it’s easy enough to guess what happened.”

 

“...What do you mean?” despite her question, Ruby was somehow afraid to learn the answer.

 

“There are three clues. First, the mansion housed a family of three. Second, there were traces of blood. And third, it traumatized Jaune greatly.” Weiss shut her eyes and her face scrunched into a grimace, as if just explaining it was painful enough for her. “That means, not only Jaune watched his family die, he was also probably forced to watch them _being murdered_.”

 

Almost all at once, everyone let out a collective gasps, tremendous horror etched into their faces.

 

“T-that was...” Pyrrha stuttered.

 

“Horrible? Awful?” Weiss snorted. “Let me tell you, there is no word known to man to describe the feeling.” a bitter expression appeared on Weiss’s face. “I lost my own mother when I was young, and I never completely recover even to this day, and that was with my father and family helping me dealt with the loss. But him? Right after he lost his parents, he somehow ended up in that village where he spent three years in misery, suffering alone without anyone to look after him.” she almost failed in trying to keep her voice from cracking. “...What he had gone through, no words can do it justice.”

 

“It makes sense why Headmaster Ozpin doesn’t want him to reach that place,” Blake added somberly. “He’d already suffered enough as it is. And if he ever remembers...”

 

Blake trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, and no one in the group wanted to think what would happen, either. As reluctant was they were to admit it, they couldn’t picture themselves enduring even half as much without being completely torn apart by the grief, and probably losing their minds in the process.

 

“This shit’s so fucked up...” Sun cursed darkly.

 

“B-but Jauney is strong, isn’t he...? Something like this should be nothing for him...” Nora tried to alleviate the mood somehow. But her voice was shaking as if she herself didn’t believe what she was saying. “He should be okay, right...? Nothing bad will happen to him, right...?” she threw her gaze around, her eyes began glistening with tears when even Ren looked away. “Please... somebody tell me that Jauney’s going to be alright...”

 

Weiss looked at the girl who was trying her best to stay positive, but she didn’t even have to be a genius to know that her smile looked feeble as if she was ready to break down at any second. And it was heart breaking to watch such a bubbly girl reduced to this pitiful state.

 

If nothing else, for now she could at least tell her a little white lie.

 

“Yes, he will be okay.”

 

And yet, when thunder rumbled outside as they began climbing the stair again, Weiss couldn’t for the life of her shake the feeling that her lie was truly only that, a lie.

 

~•~

 

**\--Yui – Truth and Love (/watch?v=uclH0DYUzGA)--**

 

They found him. It took long enough, but they finally found him.

 

Even though they knew that he had traversed through Forever Fall by foot, the blonde boy seemed to be ultimately unharmed. A few cuts here and there, small tears on his hoodie and pants, but nothing too severe that an immediate medical attention was necessary.

 

And yet, as they stood there in the doorway of the ruin of a mansion, looking at the boy sitting in the center of a big room, his form battered by the cruel, uncaring rain, hugging his knees to his chest and looking smaller than they ever thought was possible, wet hair and bangs covering his face, they felt as if their deepest fears had just come into existence.

 

“Jaune...?” as his partner, Pyrrha felt that it was her duty to call out to him. And yet, her voice shook as if she was holding back a sob. “Jaune, are you okay...?”

 

There was no response. The boy who had wormed his way into their hearts just sat there completely motionless, and if not for the very slight movement of his shoulder, they wouldn’t even know that he was still breathing.

 

“Jauney, we’ve come to get you...! Come on, let’s go back to Beacon together...!”

 

They all heard the exclamation, knew that she was trying stay as cheerful as possible, but they couldn’t help but notice the hidden words, that what the orange haired girl truly meant to say was a desperate, “Come back to us!”

 

They knew so because they also were also screaming the same thing in their minds.

 

To Nora’s delight, her plea did seem to garner a result as the boy shifted from his sitting position and began picking himself up. The person she had come to cherish as her teammate, leader, best friend, and even a big brother figure slowly rose to his full height, and for one second, she forgot all about her fear and thought everything was going to be alright, after all.

 

She didn’t notice the collective sharp intakes of breath coming from the rest of the group as she shot forward, her hands reaching out to give her big brother, the one who had always indulged her antics and never failed to smile warmly at her even after suffering her worst pranks, the tightest hug she was ever capable of.

 

“NORA, WATCH OUT!”

 

Just as she was about to reach him, the person she was missing terribly even though it had been only two days, she was forcefully jerked backwards by someone whose voice she recognized as her childhood friend.

 

She fell to her butt, feeling the pain for but one second before her eyes took notice of a few strands of orange hair in the air until it landed limply on the soaked floor. Her happiness receded and gave way to terror when she realized that her big brother had just tried to _kill_ her.

 

She finally looked up and saw the sight for what it truly was. Two lines of red streaking across his cheeks, mingling with the rain water before dropping off his chin, and from the slightly parted bangs, two emotionless, frozen orbs looked back at her with the coldness of a glacier.

 

She had been once told that eyes were the window of the soul. It was how she knew that behind his stoic attitude, Ren was heartwarmingly soft towards his friends, and despite her cynical words, Weiss was the most caring of the group. Yet when she looked at Jaune’s eyes, she couldn’t hold herself back from shuddering viciously when she found that they were hollow, bereft of the warmth and kindness she was so used to find in them, as if the body no longer possessed a heart that could feel. As if he had turned into a void creature, husk of a human that had lost his soul.

 

“...no...” terror turned into unbearable sadness, as tears finally cascaded down from her eyes despite her best effort to keep it in. “Jauney... no...”

 

“What the fuck was that about, Arc?!” A boy with blonde hair a shade lighter than Jaune’s own suddenly stood in front of Nora. “She’s your friend, for Lord’s sake! Why did you—” Sun stopped midsentence, his body instinctively shifting into a protective stance when the boy he thought as his little brother, if only in his mind, stiffened as if getting ready to attack again. He only had one look at the young swordsman’s face before a feeling of immense dread caused his heart to plummet into an erratic beats. “Holy fuck, you’re...”

 

He inclined his head slightly to the side to regard all his companions. “Draw your weapons!” he shouted in an almost frantic voice, pulling out his own unique combination of staff, nunchaku, and shotguns, before falling into a fighting stance himself. “Hurry!”

 

“What are you saying?!” Pyrrha screamed, all the while hoping that all this was just a bad dream. “You can’t expect us to just fight him like this!”

 

“S-She’s right, Sun...! We shouldn’t be acting rash here...!”

 

Sun immediately turned his glare towards Yang. “Do you think we have a fucking choice, woman?! Didn’t you see how he almost killed his own teammate?!”

 

“B-But that wasn’t Jaune...!” Ruby tried to reason, if only because she didn’t want to accept the morbid situation her reality had become. “Jaune wouldn’t do something like that!”

 

“You’re right,” Weiss walked until she was standing beside Sun, Myrtenaster now held within her left hand. “This isn’t Jaune. This is _something_ _else_.” she pointed her weapon towards the blonde swordsman, a pained expression flickering across her face before it turned as hard as stone. “Now, unless you want to die, get ready to fight!”

 

What finally caused them to make up their minds, however, was when Jaune finally spoke.

 

“By regret enchained thee, by thy grief fallen tomorrow.”

 

Despite the heavy rain and roaring gale, his voice somehow managed to carry through the noise, mere whispers that inexplicably boomed on their eardrums like loud screams, yet its blank and flat tone shook them to core of their very beings.

 

“By thee untimely slain, whose presence marketh the end.”

 

The swordsman turned his weapon until its tip was pointing at the ground in a reverse grip, his other hand bringing the sheath as he slowly encased the sword.

 

“No suppliant arts thy destiny control, no vows revoke the purpose of thy soul.”

 

His Aura flared, and instead of the soft glow of moonlight they were accustomed to, his body shone with a black light enveloped by a bright white corona.

 

“O blessed power, regard my ardent prayer.”

 

The unusual Aura reached and completely coated his weapon, and they watched in a morbid sense of fascination as the sword’s form shook and writhed about before the Aura exploded, blinding light flooding the room and forcing the group of teenagers to shut their eyes close in fear of it causing damage to their eyes.

 

“Lost Arc,” the hollow voice uttered. “Thanatos.”

 

When they were able to open their eyes again, the sight they were greeted with stunned them.

 

Instead of a white sword, a single-edged sword that held the color of the night now took its place within Jaune’s fingers. It had no intricate design, no crossguards, no engravings, just a black handle and a blade, with the exception of a strange torch-like design on the tip of its hilt.

 

They hadn’t even recovered from the shock that was Jaune’s transformed weapon, when they once again heard him spoke a foreign verse.

 

 _“Hito.”_ (One.)

 

 _“Futa.”_ (Two.)

 

 _“Mi.”_ (Three.)

 

 _“Yo.”_ (Four.)

 

 _“Itsu.”_ (Five.”

 

 _“Mui.”_ (Six.)

 

 _“Nana.”_ (Seven.)

 

 _“Yaha.”_ (Eight.)

 

 _“Kokono.”_ (Nine.)

 

 _“Too to narikeri ya.”_ (Once at ten.)

 

 _“Furube.”_ (Fall.)

 

 _“Yura yura to furube.”_ (It will fall softly.)

 

Ultramarine-blue flame suddenly lit in the torch, swaying to and fro from the wind yet completely untouched by the droplets of rain.

 

A shockwave erupted from the boy as he twirled the onyx-colored sword until its gripped normally, his body lowering into a stance.

 

When the shockwave hit them a second time, sending wind of tempest and painful water droplets crashing into them, the group of Hunters and Huntresses-in-training finally realized that they were in for the fight of their life.

 

The battle to reclaim their friend had finally begun, and they were hopeless to stop it.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: I can’t be the only one who thinks of that, now can I? That Jaune’s symbol, the two arcs, not only can be seen as moon and sun, but it can also represents the eclipse? Huh? Huh? Someone please agree with me.

 

For those who wonder where the hell did the name for Jaune’s new weapon’s form come from, FYI, Thanatos’s equivalent in Roman mythology is _Mors_. Yes, it’s from the second syllable of Jaune’s original weapon’s name which translates into _Death_. That’s right, I manipulated the original name so it fits my needs! Take that, Monty Oum! Let it be known that even an awful writer like me has some knowledge of certain mythology!

 

Oh, kudos for anyone who knows where the second verse comes from. How Jaune knows that verse (it’s in Japanese, if you’re wondering, if a bit ancient) will be explained in the next chapter.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	16. Ch 14 - The Past and The Present

**Galerians, in.**

 

Your BGM for this chapter:

**\--Two Steps from Hell – Invincible (/watch?v=VvhTNGr1lhc)--**

**\--Two Steps from Hell – Blackheart (/watch?v=EOrE2Qr1FMU)--**

**\--Mass Effect 3 OST – I Was Lost Without You Extended (/watch?v=txrPOJG5bUc)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Arc I: Overture – Epilogue**

**Part 1**

**The Past and The Present**

 

_“Dear, you have to come here! Quickly!”_

_Hearing his wife’s usually gentle voice turned shrill, the man immediately rushed and burst into the living room, apron still on his person._

_“Look!” listening closely, he noticed that it wasn’t distress he heard in her voice. It was excitement. “Look at Jaune dearest!”_

_He followed the direction of her index finger and finally saw what made her wife so giddy._

_“Oh my God...” he whispered, so shocked that he almost dropped the frying pan he was holding and spilled everything on the floor. “My Jaune is walking! Only one year old and he’s already able stand on his own feet!”_

 

~•~

 

“Jaune...!” once again Pyrrha called out to her partner. “Jaune, please, we don’t want to fight you!”

 

The plea fell on deaf ears. The blonde swordsman didn’t even so much as twitch in recognition of his own partner’s voice, merely making his way towards them with painfully slow steps that somehow unnerved them far more than the strongest Grimm they had ever encountered.

 

“Jaune, stop this! We’re not your enemy!”

 

“Sis, watch out!”

 

Yang’s cry of warning came a little too late, and she became the next one to snap out of it after Jaune delivered an Aura-empowered kick to the still shaken Ruby’s stomach, sending the younger girl flying into the room’s corner where she crumpled to the floor and hacked harshly, obviously in immense pain, while everyone rushed to her.

 

And their friend-turned-enemy didn’t even pay her a second glance.

 

Yang had one look at her sister’s pained expression. “You—” she stood up, glaring at apathetic boy with the fierceness of a scorching sun. “YOU HURT MY SISTER!” Yang burned with rage, quite literally for even the rain evaporated as soon as it came into contact with her brightly flaming Aura as the enraged girl let out a shriek of vengeance before launching herself at the swordsman. “I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch!”

 

She tore at him with a fiery fury hotter than sun in a middle of a desert, sending a flurry of attacks that was able to momentarily overwhelm Jaune’s defense and gave a few well-placed, powerful strikes on the swordsman’s body. However, emphasis must be made on the ‘momentarily’ part because it was no surprise when after one particularly vicious punch to his chest, her opponent grabbed the offending appendage with his free hand and swung the female brawler over his head. Jaune slammed Yang onto the floor before ruthlessly stepping on her torso, knocking the air out of her lungs, his black sword raised and ready to be plunged into flesh.

 

“YANG!”

 

~•~

 

_On one of his rare days off, the man was dozing off on his armchair by the window, feeling the warmth of spring sunlight lullabying him to sleep._

_He woke up when he felt a strange tapping on his cheek. “Dada...”_

_“Huh...?” he opened his eyes blearily, and was quite surprised to find his three years old son. The toddler had apparently gotten bored playing with his toys and climbed all the way to his chest. “Jaune...?”_

_“Dada...” his son kept hitting his father’s cheek with his tiny, stubby finger. “Daddy...”_

_“Okay, little boy, time to get you to your Momm-” he froze up, his mind finally processing what the hell he had just heard. “Jaune, did you just...?”_

_The toddler tilted his head slightly. “Daddy...?”_

_The man inhaled and exhaled, struggling to regulate his breathing unless he wanted to start hyperventilating. He picked up his son, gently placed him on the floor, before straightening up again. “Jaune, Daddy’s sorry, but I need to do something right now, okay?” he bolted from the room, running out of the door, across the backyard, through the forest, before finally stopping at the cliff._

_He drew a monstrous breath, cupped his hands in front of his mouth, and shouted as loud as he could ever afford. “MY SON CALLED ME DADDY! YOU HEAR ME?! HE FINALLY CALLED ME DADDYYY!”_

 

~•~

 

Blake’s scream became the signal of when Nora and Ren finally leapt into action. The black haired boy interrupted Thanatos’s descent with shots that forced his team leader to use the weapon to block while Nora jumped directly to the blonde’s side, Maghnild already in mid-swing as the war hammer released a burst of explosive round the moment it made impact.

 

Jaune were propelled backward by the brunt, crashing into the wall that, brittle from years of rot and decay, immediately collapsed on top of him and kicked up a cloud of dust, obscuring him from sight.

 

They waited as the dust settled in, bated breath turned into collective gasps when they finally saw his silhouette picking himself up, still disturbingly slow. When the view cleared, it was revealed that the swordsman was no doubt wounded, as evidenced by the blood trailing down from the left corner of his lips, but his expression never changed as if his pain receptor had been turned off.

 

“Holy shit...” Sun muttered in low voice. “I swear I heard bones cracking there, but the fucker didn’t even flinch...”

 

They all jolted when Jaune looked up, his eyes the epitome of emptiness, stepping over the rubble as he made his way to them again.

 

~•~

 

_The woman stood by the door, a white robe covering her frame as she sighed. “...What did you do to Jaune now?”_

_“I-I don’t know...!” the man wailed, standing beside the crib with toys on each hand, crying comically. “He was already crying when I got in here! I checked his diapers, but it’s clean! I made him milk, but he isn’t hungry! I even sang to him, but he only cried louder!”_

_The woman raised an eyebrow. “...You do realize that you have a horrible voice, don’t you?” she approached the crib and picked her baby boy up. “Oh, poor Jaune dearest, Daddy’s voice must have gotten you a nightmare.”_

_She ignored her husband who was now sulking in the corner, a grey cloud visible atop his head, and chose to rock her baby gently. “How about Mommy lullaby you now, hm?” the four years old’s crying, as if able to comprehend, reduced to a sniffle._

_She smiled. “Hito, futa, mi, yo, itsu,” the woman began singing, her soft voice turned what was supposed to be ancient prayer into a melodious tune. “Mui, nana, yaha, kokono, too to narikeri ya.” the child directed his big, azure eyes towards his Mommy, entranced. “Furube. Yura yura to furube.”_

_She repeated it, and by the second time the song ended, her beloved baby boy had already fallen deep into slumber. She brought him up, kissed the toddler’s both cheeks and forehead, before putting him back in his crib as gently as she could._

_When she turned around, she found her husband staring at her with a strange twinkle in his eyes. “What is it?”_

_“How come he always falls asleep when_ you _sing to him?”_

_“Oh, you’re such a jealous Daddy,” she walked past him and into the doorway. “Don’t forget that even_ you _usually end up in the same state when I sing to you.”_

_“Well, it’s not fair that you have such mesmerizing voice. I swear, if I met you in the middle of a sea, I would have thought you as a siren or something.” he followed his wife, making sure to close the door behind him._

_“You’re making it sounds like we’re having a competition. Jaune’s our baby, so don’t be like that,” she chuckled. “Come, let’s go back to sleep.”_

_The journey back to their room was spent in comfortable silence... or it should have been if the man hadn’t spoken._

_“So... wanna make Jaune a little brother?”_

_She stopped, gave her husband a very sweet smile, before proceeding to slap him silly._

 

~•~

 

**\--Two Steps from Hell – Invincible (/watch?v=VvhTNGr1lhc)--**

 

Instead of waiting for his inevitable arrival, Weiss opted to make the first move. The revolver mechanism in her weapon rotated until it stopped at light blue, using the Dust contained in the chamber to dispatch freezing shots aimed at the swordsman’s legs to halt his movement.

 

Even if he saw incoming attack, the swordsman made no move to evade. He simply twirled Thanatos until it was held in reverse grip, pointing the torch-like design forward as if welcoming the ice-inducing salvo. The ultramarine flame flickered once before expanding outwards, forming a round wall of blue fire that where the barrage impacted, absorbing the attack just like a sponge would water.

 

Sun ignored the shocked gasps from around him, choosing to squint his eyes to see through the rain and analyze the blue flame. “Oy, you two, get back here!” he yelled to Ren and Nora.

 

“What is it?” Ren asked as he arrived by the blonde Faunus’s side.

 

He threw a look around. “We need to hit him with everything we’ve got!”

 

“W-What are you—?”

 

“I’ve got a theory and I need to prove it!” Sun cut Pyrrha’s question short while parting his staff into its shotgun-slash-nunchaku form. When no one seemed to make a move, he snapped. “The fuck are you waiting for?! In case you didn’t realize, that guy is still coming at us right now, so grab your weapons and start shooting already!”

 

They all scrambled into positions, and reluctantly obeyed the monkey Faunus’s command, even Ruby took her position beside the group and hauled her Crescent Rose in its rifle form. The action didn’t, however, produce much result because the thrice-damned blue flame still absorbed their attacks without nothing to show for it.

 

That is, until they saw it changed color into white and condensed into a sphere the size of a tennis ball.

 

Sun’s eyes widened as he watched the person he thought as both friend and rival reared his free hand, fist opening into a palm. When his instinct blared a warning, Sun roared, “HIT THE DECK!”

 

Jaune thrust his palm and propelled the ball of pure energy forward while the group flattened themselves onto the ground, barely managing to dodge the attack and causing it to pass over their head and crash into the wall behind them, where it exploded violently, collapsing the wall and sending tremors in the ruined mansion.

 

Sun glanced at the smoke behind him and cursed, “Fuck, didn’t see that one coming...”

 

Blake sent a glare at his direction. “Any other brilliant plan to get all of us killed, Sun?”

 

“Hey, it was an experiment, so watch the sarcasm. How was I supposed to know that it’d end badly?” he stood up, eyeing the swordsman who reverted back into a neutral position. “Besides, at least now we know shooting at him is a very bad idea.”

 

“I applaud your ability at stating the obvious.” Weiss threw him a scathing remark.

 

Sun held himself back from snapping, knowing that the only reason they acted this way was because the stress was starting to get to them. He let loose a sigh before turning his attention to Ruby. “Oy, little lady, are you okay enough to run?”

 

A bit surprised from the question, Ruby stuttered. “E-er, ehm, yes. But why are you-”

 

“Good,” Sun briskly cut her off as he addressed the whole team. “We should retreat for now.”

 

“Why?! We can still fight, and we need to get Jauney back!” Nora rounded on him.

 

“Yeah, what exactly are you suggesting?” Yang stood up, agitation visible in her posture. “I honestly don’t see how running away will help us win this fight!”

 

“I suggested we retreat, not run away. Pay attention, woman!” Sun responded, all the while keeping his eyes on the blonde swordsman just standing there as if patiently waiting for them to make the next move. “You’re either blind or simply ignoring the truth if you can’t see that nothing we do up to now is working! I mean, look at him! This guy is a freaking war machine! Unless we cook up a plan of some sort, it’s only a matter of time before he succeeds in killing one of us!”

 

They all looked at each other, still not sure of what to do and wondering if it was a good idea.

 

Then they saw Jaune silently began walking towards them again.

 

“Fine, we’ll do this your way,” Weiss picked herself up. “But make no mistake, this doesn’t mean we’re catering to your wish.”

 

Sun held back another sigh, and waited until everyone disappeared behind the smoke before slowly walking backwards to make sure the swordsman didn’t do anything funny while his companions made their way out of the mansion and into the forest.

 

“What happened to you, Arc?” Sun whispered. “What did you find in this place that it turned you into... _this_?”

 

Jaune gave him no answer, and he didn’t give any indication that he even heard the question.

 

Sun bit back a frustrated scream and turned away.

 

Jaune merely stared at Sun’s retreating form with blank eyes, feet moving into a slow walk to follow him.

 

~•~

 

**\--Two Steps from Hell – Blackheart (/watch?v=EOrE2Qr1FMU)--**

 

_Someone punched him awake, before he was thrown onto the floor where the small child curled and moaned in pain. He blearily opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was that all the lamps in the dining room were turned off and all the furniture were either broken or haphazardly strewn about the room as if it had been hit by a hurricane._

_The only illumination came from moonlight streaming in from the high window. He followed the light, gasping in shock when he saw his parents’ crumpled forms in the middle of the room._

_“Mommy...? Daddy...?”_

_“...Jaune?” recognizing his mother’s voice, he tried to run to her side, but someone caught him by the collar before he even made a step. “Jaune...!”_

_“What are you doing with my son?!” the man looked up, showing a battered and heavily bruised face that rendered it almost unrecognizable. “Let him go right this instant, you traitor!”_

_“Hoo~, so His and Her Majesty still have some spunk left in them,” the cold and cruel voice spoke. “We have to fix that, now don’t we?”_

_Jaune saw someone walked up to his father, his form obscured by the shadow, before his eyes widened again as the unidentified person plunged a knife to the wounded man’s arm, burying it to the hilt, eliciting a scream that turned even louder as he twisted the knife._

_“Daddy...!” the small child struggled against his captive. “DADDY!”_

_He heard his holder laugh, and his young mind couldn’t comprehend what was so funny from watching his father being tortured like that. He screamed again to make them stop, and was cut short when someone punched his cheek again._

_“Can we have a more... civilized conversation now?” the voice said after the other person finally pulled his knife out of the tortured man’s arm. “I know you have no doubt of what is going to happen to the both of you, but you see, as professional as I am, I can also be kind and compassionate, so as an act of mercy, I will not kill your son.”_

_“However, I am not one to pass a good show every now and then, so I’ll let him live with one condition.”_

_Jaune was carelessly dropped onto the floor. “It is only fitting. The sword, that has claimed the lives of all my men, be used to exact their revenge,” he gently placed the blue handled, white sheathed sword before the kneeling child. “And have it done by their killer’s son, no less.”_

 

~•~

 

They had been running at full speed for almost ten minutes, reaching a clearing, when at last Sun called out from behind. “Oy! Oy, this is far enough!” they all skidded to a halt. “Let’s stop here... and catch our breath...”

 

Almost all at once, the gang slumped to their knees, gasping for precious oxygen with their faces down in order not to inhale some of the rainwater. Sun walked to a tree and put his hand on it, using it as leverage so he could keep himself upright. “Take a moment to rest, but not too long. We still need to make a strategy.”

 

“Who died and made you leader?”

 

While Yang’s venomous remark was surprising on its own, what really shocked them was when Sun suddenly punched the tree’s bark he was leaning on, sending splinter everywhere. They watched the tree, while quite small in size, toppled sideward with no small amount of fear.

 

The monkey Faunus’s Aura flared, his body shining with dull white light in the darkness, and when he finally looked up, they saw barely restrained rage in his slightly glowing green eyes.

 

“Will you stop that already?” despite the very visible anger in his eyes, they were quite surprised to find that he spoke with an almost daunting composure. “I know I’m an outsider in this group of yours, but you need to remember that I’ve known Arc longer than any of you.” Sun never gritted or gnashed his teeth. His posture was completely relaxed and he wasn’t even glaring, but the vibes of tranquil fury emanating from his person were terrifying enough that the Beacon’s students couldn’t help but shudder in fright. “I don’t know what you think of me, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t care either, but that guy is the closest thing I have to a little brother, and you are his friends. You can hate or despise my guts all you like; however, I will do _whatever it takes_ to keep you alive through this mess. Because if regaining the memory of his past is enough to turn Arc into something like that, I don’t want to even _think_ about what will happen to him when he finally gets a hold of himself, only to find out he’s killed one of his friends.”

 

He walked forward, stopped a few feet away from the group, and crossed his arms. “Now, will you work with me or do I have to drag you here like a bunch of fucking kindergarteners?”

 

While there was no forceful tone in his deceptively calm voice, the gang still felt that it was in their best interest to do what he requested. They scampered before him, and sat down in kneeling position like obedient boys and girls.

 

“Good kids,” he smiled, the fury dispersing before he sat cross-legged as well. “Okay, I want us to pool our resources, share everything we know about him. And when I said everything, I meant _everything_.” Sun snapped his finger. “Let’s start with the simplest things: his bio.”

 

“Full name: Jaune Arc. Age: seventeen years old. Height: seventy-three inch. Weight, one hundred and sixty two pounds.” Pyrrha began to list everything she knew on the subject, all the way from name to hobby. “...likes to drink coffee, oh and he also absolutely loves Ren’s pancakes.”

 

“Wait, Ren makes pancakes?” Ruby asked. “Why did anyone never tell me before?”

 

“Because, no matter how many or quick I make them, Jaune and Nora will wolf them down in a matter of minutes,” Ren replied. “It’s hard enough to keep up with these two, and unless I have four hands, I don’t think I can afford another mouth to feed.”

 

“But that’s unfair! I want to try it too!”

 

“Life’s unfair, deal with it,” Nora responded while holding Ren’s arm possessively. “Ren’s pancakes are exclusively for me and Jaune. Oh, and maybe one or two stacks for Pyrrha.”

 

“Don’t ask,” Pyrrha immediately said when Ruby diverted her big eyes towards the red haired warrior. “You don’t want to know what hardships I had to endure just to make the cut.”

 

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, back to topic! Back to topic!” Sun barked while clapping his hands in exasperation. “We’re not here to have a squabble over who has the right to eat _pancakes_ , dammit!” when Ruby visibly deflated like a kicked puppy, Sun had to try so hard not to sigh. “Okay, nothing useful there so let’s move on to his fighting capabilities.”

 

Weiss took her turn. “Jaune is a master swordsman, capable of going toe-to-toe with weapons of all kinds with his sword alone, as has been proved in our Dueling class, and his shield is usually more than enough to protect him against any kind of Dust or melee attacks. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he himself has no proficiency or means to use Dust in a fight.”

 

“He is considerably fast, and while I, Ren, Weiss and Ruby are actually quicker, his almost instantaneous reflex is more than enough to make up for it.” Blake continued. “He’s also quite the strategist and a good commander. He’s the leader of Team JNPR, after all.”

 

“His physical strength is also not to be trifled with,” Yang chimed in. “In fact, whenever he gets serious, all of us have never been able to win in a contest of raw strength. Even I, Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora have to rely on our weapons’ recoil in order to overpower him.”

 

“There’s one more thing. In hand to hand combat, the only ones who have ever beaten Jauney are Ren and Yang.”

 

“That’s because we were fighting with skills alone,” Yang muttered in irritation. “If he uses the whole package, I think that, among us, the only one who actually won against him in an all-out barehanded fight is Ren.”

 

Sun turned perplexed eyes to the black haired boy. “You _won_ against him?”

 

“Only by a very small margin,” Ren sheepishly replied. “It’s important to note that every time he successfully hit me, he sent me flying.”

 

“Yeah, but every time _you_ pulled out that palm attack, you punched a hole in and through the wall using _him_ ,” Pyrrha deadpanned. “Need I also mention that you ruined _multiple_ walls? Made of brick over four inches thick?”

 

“Can we _please_ get back on the subject, or do I have to make a paper fan and start hitting you all on the head every time we go off topic?” Sun scolded with an almost tired tone. “Next matter of business, his current weapon. Does it normally do that, or is this a special occasion?”

 

“Oh, it’s a special occasion, alright. We have only ever seen his weapon transform like that two times before, first was when he returned after being dragged by a Death Stalker into a ravine, and second was when we got to him in that fight after the mess with White Fang.”

 

Sun nodded his understanding at Ruby’s explanation. “Hmm, I did remember seeing him with a different weapon from his usual sword and shield,” he frowned. “But wasn’t it a big, white sword? Since when does it also change into a black sword?”

 

“Sorry, but truthfully, we are as confused as you are on this matter,” Pyrrha answered. “He’s never even explained about the first transformation, let alone this one.”

 

“Okay, okay, let’s forget about where it came from and focus on what we currently know about it.”

 

“You know, the sword’s actually pretty normal. I didn’t notice anything strange when we tangled back there in the ruin.”

 

“Really?” when Yang nodded, Sun hummed. “Hmm, so the only special feature about it is that blue fire.”

 

“Which reminds me, why did you make us throw a barrage like that again?” Weiss asked.

 

“Remember how that blue fire just absorbed your Dust blast without much to show for it? Well, the law of energy’s conservation states that we cannot create or destroy energy, but where did your attack go? So I hypothesized that in order to absorb Dust blast like that, it’s got to have a container or something.”

 

“Ahh, so that’s why you told all of us to shoot,” Weiss eyes widened in comprehension. “You were trying to find out its limit, because no container is ever infinite.”

 

“Yeah, but since we also found out that he can grab and throw back the damn thing at us, I don’t think this finding is gonna help us much. We barely dodged that ball of doom after all, and if we try to do it again, next time we might not be so lucky.”

 

“So... Dust shots are out?” Ruby asked.

 

“Out,” Sun gave her the confirmation. “Anything else to add?”

 

All of them shook their heads.

 

“Alright, so that wraps up about his fighting capabilities. Can someone give me a summary?”

 

“Basically, his biggest strengths are his sword skill, raw power which includes both Aura and physical strength, his superior reflex, and his battle-related intelligence. In addition, even though we have the number and are definitely better than him in some ways, his other skills render our advantages moot, thus making it impossible for us to win in an individual, full frontal fight, and currently, our Dust attacks are assumed to be ineffective as long as he has that sword.”

 

Weiss’s summary caused Sun to grimace. “Okaayy. So, in short, trying to fight him at the moment without at least one or two companions is pretty much a suicidal affair. Gotcha.” he let out a long, suffering sigh. “Damn that old geezer, I know that he trained Arc way harder and from far much earlier than any of us, but did he really have to put so much effort in it?”

 

“Well, we always say that why Jaune hasn’t been recognized as a full-fledged Hunter yet isn’t due to the lack of skills, but because he hasn’t gotten an actual degree.” Ruby shrugged.

 

Sun sighed for the umpteenth time while massaging his temple. “Is there anything else that needs to be noted?”

 

“Ah, I guess there’s one more,” dammit, he really would have preferred if there were none. “Jaune told us that he had survival trainings and his missions were usually done at night, right?”

 

“Where are you going with this, Pyrrha?”

 

The red haired warrior turned to Weiss. “Well, look at where we are now. It’s obvious, isn’t it?” she gestured to the dark, expansive forest surrounding them. “He told us once that even though he has nowhere near perfect night vision like Faunus, Headmaster Ozpin had taught him about how to blend and hide in the shadow so he could survive the night in the forest when Grimm’s activities increase two fold. Also, considering a majority of the missions he took were clearing Grimm’s nest, I think it’s safe to assume that he’s well versed in fighting in areas with low visibility.”

 

“So on top of everything else, he also has an advantage over us in mastery of terrain, except for maybe Blake and Sun?” Yang asked incredulously. “Damn it, this is not the level of a mid-boss fight! If this were a game, he would have been the final boss!”

 

Sun tried not to get up and bang his head on a tree. “Fuck, the gap just keeps getting wider and wider...”

 

Fortunately, right when they were about to despair, Blake threw them a spark of hope. “However, all of the above are only true if we were fighting the _normal_ Jaune,” everyone snapped to attention. “And we all know that right now, he is anything but normal.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sun asked.

 

“Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve seen condition similar to this several times in the past,” she proceeded to elaborate. “Basically, when people have gone through a very traumatizing event, sometimes their minds shut down as a coping mechanism, choosing to retreat from reality to prevent them from going over the absolute edge. However, occasionally, their bodies are still active because their subconscious takes over. Only thing is, someone’s subconscious rarely retains the knowledge or emotions of the person, or the majority of it at least.”

 

“Which is why he didn’t recognize any of us,” Weiss mused. “It also explains why his eyes are so unnervingly blank. He doesn’t even have control of his own body.”

 

Blake nodded her agreement. “When we went into that room, we probably tripped something inside Jaune and caused him to subconsciously perceive us as a threat. It’s important to note as well that while a subconscious does not have the capability of making any intelligent thought, such as strategies or tactics, the body still possesses muscle memory, which is why Jaune can still fight so well despite not being able to think.”

 

“To summarize, right now we are fighting a dumbed down Jaune who only knows how to fight because his mind isn’t present.”

 

“...That’s a pretty lengthy explanation,” Ruby’s eyes shone with admiration. “How do you know all this stuff?”

 

“I grew up being part of the White Fang, remember?” Blake gave her team’s leader a wry smile. “Life as a Faunus isn’t so pretty, so I have a good deal of experiences witnessing this kind of thing, and dealing with some of them too.”

 

“Then do you know what we should do?” Sun asked. “How do we get that idiot back in control again?”

 

“Unfortunately, people with this condition usually have to deal with it on their own, especially since Jaune’s mind has shut down. Some can even fall into coma for a long time before they wake up again. However,” Blake immediately added. “We can at least stop his rampage by putting him into an unconscious state.”

 

“Are you saying that to fix this, we only have to knock Jauney out?” Nora asked.

 

“That’s a bit oversimplified, Nora, but I think you captured the gist of it,” Ren pondered for a bit. “Well, while it’s not even remotely perfect, it _is_ the best solution we have, considering the circumstances.”

 

“We do still need to cook up how to do it, though.”

 

Despite Yang’s comment, Sun just smiled in relief. “For now, at least let’s be thankful that we’re finally getting somewhere.”

 

“You know, listening to all that, I can’t help but wonder what exactly happened in that mansion in the past to make Jaune just shut down like that.”

 

“We have more important things to think about, so let’s not go there right now, Ruby. We can always ask Jaune later after all of this is over.” Weiss chastised her partner. “Although, I have the feeling we won’t like what we’ll hear when we do.”

 

~•~

 

**\--Mass Effect 3 OST – I Was Lost Without You Extended (/watch?v=txrPOJG5bUc)--**

 

_“Mommy...?” the small boy asked, staring at where his parents’ hands were clenching his own on the sword’s hilt. “Daddy...?”_

_“Daddy’s sorry, Jaune...” the man whispered from behind his mother’s form in an excruciatingly pained voice. “Daddy’s_ so _sorry...”_

_“Mommy loves you, Jaune dearest...” there were tears streaming down his Mommy’s cheeks as she gave him the warm smile he was so accustomed of. “Mommy really,_ really _loves you.”_

_Then, they pulled, the sword burying into the woman’s chest before exiting out if the man’s back. The five years old boy could only gaze uncomprehendingly as his parents let go of his hands. Little Jaune’s eyes widened when he saw deep red liquid flowing down the length of the sword and soaked his hands, the same one as what usually appeared whenever he scraped his elbow or knee while playing._

_His father gurgled and mother coughed, the same crimson fluid coming out from between their lips before his parents fell down on the floor, his Mommy giving his cheek one last caress before she slumped and finally stopped moving for eternity._

_The boy, whose mind was still too young to understand what had just occurred, could only think that the sword was hurting his Mommy and Daddy. He struggled, putting his whole weight to pull out the sword, and after managing it, he scrambled to his parent’s side._

_“Mommy...?” he called out to the woman, whose eyes were still opened yet the light had left from inside them. He tried again, and again, and again. When he still heard no answer, he reached out to his father and began tapping his cheek, the way he usually woke him up from sleep. “Daddy...? Mommy won’t wake up. Daddy...? Why are you not answering...?”_

_A cruel laughter rang in the room. “Hoo, I didn’t expect that to be this satisfying!”_

_“Hell yeah, watching them die like this really makes up for losing almost a hundred men just to raid this mansion! In spades, even!” the other voice agreed._

_“...Die?” the boy whispered. “Mommy and Daddy...died?”_

_“Well, of course, little brat! After being stabbed in the chest, it’s no wonder they did!”_

_“Yeah, you should know! After all, you’re the one who killed them!”_

_The boy raised his hands, staring at his blood-covered hands, realization dawning in his eyes. “I...killed them?” too focused on laughing their heads off, the two other living people in the room didn’t realize that the small kid’s voice had turned hollow. “Mommy and Daddy are dead...because of me?”_

_The second man wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes due to too much laughter. “Hey, boss, are you seriously gonna do it? You know, about letting him live?”_

_“Yes, I’m not going to kill the boy. I’m a man of my words, after all,” then he giggled. “Of course, I never said anything about not leaving him in the forest just across the ravine.”_

_“Holy shit, seriously?! I like how your mind works, boss! Hell, can we watch?! I mean, a boy getting mauled by an Ursa or ripped to bits by a pack of Beowolves?! It’s gonna be glorious!”_

_“That it is, partner, that it is,” then he turned around. “Now, let us grab the boy and-”_

_The traitor was cut off when a bright light exploded from the middle of the room, accompanied by a shockwave vicious enough to send the two unidentified man crashing onto the wall._

_“What the fuck was that?!” the second man cursed while hacking in pain._

_“I’m not sure!” the first man shouted in response. “But it must be the boy-”_

_And then they saw it, two azure orbs staring back blankly at them, bizarrely disturbed the two far more than anything they had ever seen in their lives. The sword and its white sheath were inexplicably gone, and in the child’s hands, now gripped a black sword which length was longer than he was tall._

_They were about to open their mouths again when the boy began to speak a foreign verse that sent chills to the depth of their bones._

“Hito.” _(One.)_

 

“Futa.” _(Two.)_

 

“Mi.” _(Three.)_

 

“Yo.” _(Four.)_

 

“Itsu.” _(Five.)_

 

“Mui.” _(Six.)_

 

“Nana.” _(Seven.)_

 

“Yaha.” _(Eight.)_

 

“Kokono.” _(Nine.)_

 

“Too to narikeri ya.” _(Once at ten.)_

 

“Furube. Yura yura to furube.” _(Fall. It will fall softly.)_

_When they saw a flame the color of ultramarine appear in the torch-like design on the tip of the sword’s hilt, the traitors couldn’t for the lives of them explain why looking at the five years old boy could make them have a premonition so bad they temporarily forgot how to breathe._

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Just to be clear, Ozpin started Jaune’s training from when he was halfway to nine years old, starting from basic physical training to battle skills. His Aura-augmentation training began when he was twelve, and from there, they also started sparring sessions where Jaune was pushed to the limit every single time and also survival training so he for the strength of his senses and endurance. Think of that for a little bit, is it so ridiculous now that he is seventeen, after years of grueling training and life-or-death missions he’d taken, he has already become so much stronger than those within his age-range?

 

Next part is the conclusion! But before that, please give me your comment on this chapter!

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	17. Ch 15 - Plan and Combat

**Galerians, in.**

 

Anyway, scratch my statement in the last chapter, I can’t write everything all the way to the conclusion fast enough, so I’m gonna make it three parts. Here’s Epilogue part 2 of 3. Hopefully this time I’m doing better than last chapter.

 

That’s said,  Let’s Get Dangerous!

 

Your BGM for this chapter:

**\--Abingdon Boys School – HOWLING (/watch?v=hjDlvrtvikY &feature=kp)--**

**\--Guren no Yumiya – Piano version (/watch?v=MI3xbygv5sc)--**

**\--Fate/Stay Night Realta Nua OST PS Vita Version– Mighty Wind (/watch?v=G9NSQIV15uI)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Arc I: Overture – Epilogue**

**Part 2**

**Plan and Combat**

 

_“Before we start, I have to ask. Princess, what happened to that Bullhead we used to get here?”_

_Weiss raised an eyebrow but answered nonetheless. “I told the pilot to stay in the clearing we landed on and wait for further instruction. Why do you ask?”_

_“How long did we need to travel from Vale to this place?”_

_“An hour and a half, more or less, since we flew at full speed.” Weiss answered quickly, slightly irritated at how the blonde Faunus ignored her question. “Again, why do you ask?”_

_“Tell the pilot to go back to nearest airport in the city to refuel or something, but have him ready to pick us up at a moment notice. You also need-”_

_“Answer my question!” the heiress snapped, making Sun jump in surprise and a little bit of fear. “I don’t understand why I need to do all this! A bit of explanation would be very nice!”_

_“Oh, sorry, got a bit carried away there...” Sun sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while Weiss huffed irritatedly. “Alright, listen up,” his face turned serious. “You guys should have realized by now what Arc intends to do. What you might not realize, is that Arc’s underage and a student at Beacon.” Sun paused to let it sink in. “This piece of land is not that wide, so there’s a possibility of that pilot witnessing Arc trying to kill us. I don’t need to tell you just how bad it would be for Arc if authority finds out about his murder attempt, do I?”_

_Weiss frowned. “I can always use my position to silence him.”_

_“Not good enough.” he shook his head. “Why? I have one word for you: gossip. It’s one of human basic nature. No amount of threat is going to keep someone’s mouth from opening, and it will only go down to hell from there. Besides, I don’t want you to do abuse your position like that either.” Sun crossed his arms. “This is no small matter. Other people might not so readily accept that Arc is not himself right now, and if they ever find out, there’s a possibility of him getting expelled from Beacon and other things I don’t want to explain.”_

_“But Headmaster Ozpin-”_

_“Will take Arc’s side without question, I know,” he cut off Pyrrha’s argument. “But that may cause people to question his judgment. In case you don’t realize, that’s pretty much a case of favoritism, especially considering Arc is his sole apprentice. People may see it as a reason to doubt his credibility as a teacher.”_

_“Heck, I might sound like a pessimist here, but for a man of his reputation, there’s no doubt he has some enemies, politically or otherwise. They can use this to smear his name, in which occasion may even cause the old geezer to lose his position as the top man in Beacon.”_

_“That’s... very insightful of you,” Blake commented, eyes wide in amazement._

_“I’m just going to quote you here: life as a Faunus isn’t pretty.” he turned to Weiss before the situation got awkward. “So, Princess, that’s why-”_

_“It’s done.” she answered before Sun was even finished, hand in the process of putting her Scroll back into her pocket._

_He blinked. Truthfully, Sun didn’t see that one coming. He didn’ty exactly expect her to so readily follow his instruction without more skeptical questions or something of the sort. He let his lips curl into a small smile. It was slow, but he might be succeeding in gaining their trust._

_“Okay, now we can talk business.”_

 

~•~

 

**\--Abingdon Boys School – HOWLING (/watch?v=hjDlvrtvikY &feature=kp)--**

 

The blonde swordsman’s almost lazy stroll brought him to a clearing. Rain still poured down his entire form, soaking him with chills that pierced the bones. However, despite the overwhelming heavy downpour and freezing wind, he neither shivered nor trembled, for the mind whose job was to identify such feelings was not there, the body only moved by a single-mindedness purpose which was to destroy those who had made him feel threatened.

 

The blank boy stiffened when his ears captured the sound of whizzing air from all around him, followed by a flash of light of multiple colors, prompting the broken warrior’s reflex to raise his sword in anticipation of incoming attacks. He didn’t have to wait long, Dust blasts of various proportions shot out from the forest’s dark expanse surrounding him as he twirled his Thanatos to use his ultramarine flame again.

 

At least, that was supposed to be the course of action his subconscious would have taken... had the shots not entirely missed their target.

 

~•~

 

_“First, we have to cut down his advantages as much as we can. It’s already established that due to his condition, he basically has little to no intelligence, which leaves us with sword skill, raw power, and reflex.” Sun raised three fingers. “Which of these can we take away from him?”_

_“Sword skill, no way around it.” Ren answered. “Taking away the other two means crippling him, and we don’t have the will or means to do that. Besides, among the three, that’s his most lethal skill anyway.”_

_“A very reasonable suggestion,” Weiss nodded her head. “And the way to achieve this is by separating him from his sword, I assume?”_

_“It won’t be easy, that’s for sure,” Pyrrha grimaced. “Just the idea of approaching him alone has a high possibility of causing us harm, how are we supposed to get to his sword?”_

_“Arc told me once that even the most terrible of danger can be tackled by having a well-oiled plan,” the gang diverted their gazes towards Sun. “And I think I’ve got just the one.”_

_“It’s got two parts,” The grin he showed them next was so wide and mischievous they had no illusions that their impromptu leader had a very crazy plan in that head of his. “A distraction, that’s the first thing we need.”_

 

~•~

 

The boy watched, with profound disinterest, the blasts going off almost all around with him standing in the center of the flashpoint. There were fire, ice, lighting, even green shots and pink explosion.  Still, though, while the flying salvo didn’t touch him in the slightest, it did pass only inches away from his body, inaccurate as all hell but still succeeding in limiting the sword wielder to a most minimal movement.

 

Then the barrage abruptly stopped, and his attention was once again caught by two voices screaming even louder than the noise of gale and rain.

 

Jaune’s warrior instinct moved his body to assume a fighting stance as soon as his vision spotted two figures, a female blonde and a raven head with a bow on top of her head, rushing towards him at full speed, arms raised and weapons brandished while purposefully shouting garbled words that were incorrigible even to his acute hearing.

 

~•~

 

_“Wait, wait, you want me and my partner to do what?” Yang inquired, one of her eyebrows raised in incredulity._

_“Be the diversion,” Sun repeated. “It’s not that hard to understand, is it?”_

_“Oh hohoho, I_ do _so understand the meaning. What I don’t understand is how you expect us to survive recklessly charging him from the front!” Yang bristled. “Hell no, buddy, I’m not even close to good with that!”_

_“This is no diversion,” Blake remarked. “Don’t you mean to say we ‘die’ in this ‘version’?”_

_The monkey Faunus didn’t seem perturbed by the complaint in the slightest. He merely raised one finger and smiled. “Wait for it.”_

~•~

 

As they came closer and closer, the swordsman’s hold on his night-colored weapon became equally tighter. While they made no move to attack, the young warrior still prepared to slash his sword because he had already branded them as threat that was to be eliminated at the earliest convenience.

 

Yang and Blake, meanwhile, felt their heartbeats turned even more erratic as their distance to the enemy shortened. They were beginning to think that their comrades had messed up the timing, and that this mission would turned haywire pretty soon with them ending up being cut down like animals, when two blood red glyphs finally appeared on the ground just one feet away from their adversary.

 

~•~

 

_“Remember, Princess, timing is everything,” Sun paused when he noticed that Weiss didn’t seem to be listening. “Princess?”_

_“Great, the nickname sticks...” the heiress muttered under her breath. “Does every blonde boy I know hate my name or something...?”_

_“Princess? Are you listening?” Sun snapped his fingers in front of Weiss’s nose. “Princess, this is important, don’t take your eyes off me!”_

_For a reason he couldn’t fathom what exactly, Blake suddenly kicked his shin._

_“Ow!” the blonde Faunus cringed, eyes looking at his fellow Faunus in confusion. “The hell was that for?!”_

_Blake merely huffed in response, crossing her arms while looking away. There was no doubt in Sun’s mind that he was missing something, especially when Yang and Ruby began giggling beside him. His night vision even caught the rest of Team JNPR snorting as though they were holding back a laugh._

_“Alright, what in the fucking hell is going on?” he asked. “Guys?” his bewildered tone only served to make giggles turned into laughter. Heck, even Weiss started to seem amused. “Is anyone gonna tell me?”_

_“Oh God, now I can see why you think of Jaune as a little brother.” Yang said between snickers. “Your personalities resemble each other’s too much. Both are thick as a brick.”_

_Sun didn’t show any sign of comprehension. “...What the fuck does that mean?”_

_“N-Nothing...!” Blake, as sudden as her previous action, shouted. Again, Sun couldn’t for the life of him explain why she was blushing. “Anyway, you should continue! We don’t have much time, right?!”_

_Even Sun knew it was a desperate attempt to change the topic, but he decided that there would be time later to sort out what exactly was the meaning behind their resident ninja Faunus’s behavior._

_He inhaled and exhaled, falling back into what the gang would later call ‘Strategist Mode’. “Well, as I was saying, timing is everything at this stage and I can’t stress it enough. If done too quick, the guy would notice something is wrong; his instinct is as good as mine, after all. Too slow, Blake and Yang would probably be out for the rest of the night if not worse.” Sun stared pointedly at Weiss. “I’m counting on you, Princess. Don’t mess it up.”_

_Ruby’s partner huffed. “Who do you think you’re speaking to, rapscallion? Of course I won’t fail.”_

_“Good,” Sun held up three fingers. “Here comes our third step: division.”_

 

~•~

 

His current self was incapable of emotion; therefore, there was no surprise in the blonde boy’s eyes as he watched his two enemies were abruptly propelled skywards in an arc. The two girls had just reached the apex of their jump when his instinct once again screamed a warning, prompting the former part-timer to look down only to find a boy with blonde hair a shade lighter than Jaune’s own already on his way to him with staff parted into two nunchucks.

 

The tailed boy had severely closed down the distance and no matter how quick his reflex was, Jaune did not possess appropriate amount of time to evade or even simply react. His blank eyes could only stare uncaringly as Sun used his first nunchuck to clasp the blade of his Thanatos as the other clenched the hilt just above Jaune’s own grip.

 

Sun roared, “NOW!”

 

Two things happened at once. Ruby appeared from the tree line and dashed, using her Semblance to an almost enviable effectiveness as her form blurred like red arrow travelling at highest speed, her gigantic Scythe held above her head and ready for a chop. A string of light blue laser conjured into existence from the opposite direction, whizzing through the air and aimed at the swordsman’s legs similar to how it did just half an hour ago.

 

Sun dug his heels into the ground and hung on with all he had, strain of muscles’ exertion visible on his face as he struggled to keep his enemy from pulling the sword back. Ruby and the Princess’s shot arrived simultaneously, and as Sun expected, the swordsman’s survival instinct realized that trying to retrieve his sword was a lost cause and prompted him to let go of it in favor of jumping backward to avoid having his hands being dismembered by the positively sharp scythe and legs immobilized by the ice-inducing salvo.

 

Sun had to hold back the gleeful cry of triumph. This was no time for celebration, not yet anyway. The monkey Faunus quickly jumped back with as much strength his legs could afford, arriving several feet away from the tree line as he stabbed the sword into the ground and once again combined his nunchucks back into its staff form. He didn’t even need to look back to know that Pyrrha had appeared beside him, weapon and shield at the ready as he walked forward, the only thing to signal his knowledge of the red haired warrior presence was a short sentence. “Don’t let him get to this sword at all cost.”

 

Jaune straightened his posture again, apathetic azure eyes glancing around and noticing that he was being surrounded from three sides. The female blonde brawler was back again, punching her fists together, as was the orange haired, war hammer wielder, and to his front, the blonde who had stolen his sword was twirling his red and gold staff before asking him a question he couldn’t identify or process anyway.

 

“Heya, lil’ bro,” while his lips were drawn in a thin line, somehow Sun’s voice carried a hint of wistfulness in it. “Ready to let loose?”

 

He felt like someone just punched him right in the heart when Jaune didn’t answer.

 

“I know I said I wanted to fight you again...” he whispered, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. “But not like this, Arc. Never like this.”

 

~•~

 

_“Hold on. What’s with the role assignment? Why aren’t I included in the frontline fighters’ roster?”_

_“Didn’t I tell you to stop cutting me off before I’m done explaining?!” Sun chastised the youngest girl in the group. “First, the reason why I only pick me, Yang, and Warrior Goddess here is because our weapons are of the blunt type, so the possibility of us accidentally killing him is very low. Second, Princess, Blake, and Arc’s partner’s weapons are pretty much a sword, which is right up his alley, and I don’t want to spend all that effort to separate him from his own weapon only for him to snatch another from us.”_

_“The third reason is related to the next step of our plan’s second part, which is setting up a perimeter around the clearing,” Sun cocked his chin towards Pyrrha. “She already told us that Arc is capable of using shadow to hide himself. That’s why I need you four,” he pointed at Blake, Ren, Ruby, and Weiss respectively. “To prevent him from leaving the area by shooting at him before he even approaches the tree line. I repeat, do not let him leave the clearing at all cost. Whether he can actually do it or not, the possibility of him fighting guerilla style is a whole another stretch of road I don’t even want to cover.”_

_“What about me?” Pyrrha asked._

_“You’re in charge of guarding his sword. You’re the only one who has a shield in this group, so if he somehow manages to get past us, you’re possibly the only one who can afford to hold him off long enough for others to come assist you.”_

_“Why not just discard his sword somewhere?” Blake asked. “It’s risky like this. There’s no guarantee that Pyrrha, or even us, will succeed in preventing Jaune from getting it back.”_

_“It’s still in the concept of division. We’re gonna keep it there so Arc’s attention will be divided between fighting our frontline fighters and trying to get to his sword, and believe me, a relapse in attention, even for a second, can prove to be highly disadvantageous for him and beneficial for us.” Sun explained. “Besides, by removing it from his sight, it’s possible that he’ll prioritize getting his sword back and multiply the effort to leave the clearing. Fighting Arc in the darkness is basically committing suicide, since only you and I who have night vision here, so it’d be best if we can keep him in the clearing where he’s in plain sight.”_

_Blake nodded, satisfied._

_“That’s it for my strategy,” he glanced around. “Any question?”_

~•~

 

He was mildly peeved... wait, calling it that might be lying a bit. Considerably irritated, perhaps? Nope, still didn’t do it justice. Or maybe it was more fitting to say he was getting increasingly frustrated?

 

...Alright, Sun Wukong was downright pissed off, and no matter what anyone got to say about it, he got the feeling that it was within good reason.

 

An hour had already passed, but they still hadn’t managed to secure a victory. Sure, there was progress, as evidenced by the amount of damage Arc had accumulated, but as bruised and battered his form was, the guy still fought like a freaking tank and refused to fall down no matter how hard they hit him. Moreover, albeit Jaune’s worsening condition, Sun’s temporary team didn’t exactly come out of it unscathed either.

 

Jaune might have been forced to brawl only with his bare fists and feet, but his fighting capability was as good as Sun remembered it, or might even be better than usual because he no longer had any moral or restraint holding him back. At least, that seemed to be the case if how he still managed to fight them to a standstill despite being ganged up by three people at once was any indication.

 

Furthermore, either his temporary team had failed to report it or they simply didn’t know, the blonde warrior’s fist fighting style had _absolutely_ no pattern. This was not the style one would expect from a person who had learnt martial arts to perfection. In fact, he wasn’t sure that Arc was even taught the art of fistfight properly. This could only come from someone who had been subjected to so many barehanded fights that he developed his own method to defend himself. Sure, it was mostly defensive, yet the unusual style was also highly reactive, because Jaune never failed to use any opening they had to deliver a strike. True, his opportunities were few and far in between, but the counterattack almost always came at the most inopportune moments, and packed so much strength it would knock the breath out of their lungs at best, or leave them heaving on the ground at worst. 

 

If that wasn’t enough, there were frequent occurrences where he had been able to redirect his enemies’ strikes to their own comrade. Now Sun had no doubt just how durable the swordsman was, considering he had experienced just how hard the hammer wielder could throw a hit. Hell, Sun himself had struggled to stay conscious with _one_ bash alone.

 

Seriously, exactly how hard did that old geezer train his apprentice for him to be able to fight this well without even knowing any special fighting style? To withstand such staggering force and still be able stand back up again every single time? Did Ozpin want to create a killing machine? Or was the old geezer only trying to make his apprentice into someone who would surpass him?

 

**\--Guren no Yumiya – Piano version (/watch?v=MI3xbygv5sc)--**

 

Sun was broken out of his reverie by a yelp of pain. He was barely able to pull himself upright when a figure of white and pink soared through the air, as his eyes found his enemy with his right leg still outstretched after delivering a kick. Sun leapt forward and once again thrust his staff, aiming at the swordsman’s temple. A bad move, it would seem, as Jaune only had to tilt his head backward and the staff’s end was now on its way towards the female blonde who was approaching from the other side, causing Sun to curse loudly as he diverted his attack’s direction. It proved to be an even worse move, as his midriff was now exposed, an opening his enemy didn’t seem to mind to exploit in the slightest. Jaune’s hand swung forward, fist coated in black Aura burying into Sun’s stomach, and at the same time, he launched a back kick to the female brawler, sending both his opponents flying to opposite directions.

 

He caught Jaune give him a disinterested glance before he set his sight upon Yang, who was still coughing while hunching over the ground a dozen feet away. The guy’s subconscious had apparently decided to go for the weaker and more injured of the two for an easy kill, as he began to walk towards the female blonde, intending to dispatch her without a second thought.

 

Jaune barely got three steps in before an unexpected blast of pink explosion threw him sideways, yet apparently he didn’t take much damage if the fact that he was capable of adjusting his position mid-air and the layer of black and white Aura armor enveloping his body was any indication. He glanced to the side, towards one Nora Valkyrie who was propelled away just a minute ago but now had her weapon in its grenade launcher form. His expression didn’t change even a little bit as he made his way towards the orange haired girl as if concluding that as long she was alive, Nora would not let him get to Yang.

 

“Nora!” somewhere far behind her, Pyrrha shouted. The female warrior tried to reach her teammate, but her body, injured by frequently having to defend the sword from the swordsman, was too slow to get to her on time. “Nora, get out of there!”

 

But reality dictated that she couldn’t. In fact, Nora was barely standing as it was, her legs wobbling under her weight. The orange haired girl couldn’t even counterattack any longer. She was barely able to lift Maghnild and she had just exhausted her last ammo. Yet she still stood, trying her hardest to appear as defiant as she could even though her knees were ready to buckle from the trembling.

 

Sun looked at the exhausted girl in alarm. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to get there in time, Sun made his decision, inhaling a huge amount of breath before a fiery yell escaped his mouth.

 

“COMMENCE PLAN B!”

 

~•~

_Ren separated himself from the group and approached Sun, who was in the middle of counting his remaining ammo. “Can I ask something?”_

_The impromptu leader seemed to know already what the black haired boy wanted to ask. “You’re stronger than any of us.”_

_“...What?”_

_“You want to know why I didn’t include you in my team, despite your capability in martial arts and the fact that you’ve won against him in a no-holds-barred fistfight, right? Well, that’s my reason.” Sun turned so he was facing the black haired boy directly. “You think I don’t know? Our weapons are supposed to be an extension of ourselves, but there’s a certain stiffness when you wield those twin guns, a dead giveaway that no matter how skilled you are with them right now, you haven’t used them long enough to master them completely.” he squinted his eyes. “Yet there’s something in the way you move, something different, especially when you’re not holding your guns. Not only that, while you’re good enough to hide it, my senses are sensitive enough to know how goddamn intense your Aura is just by feeling a trickle of it.”_

_“Admit it.” he crossed his arms. “The level of your Aura augmentation surpasses even Arc’s, yet you still haven’t mastered your weapon. You’re only fairly skilled when fighting with your weapon but without them, you’re capable of beating the damn fucker who by all rights should have been a Hunter by now. Based on that, here’s what I think... you use those twin guns not because they give you a damn advantage. In fact, you use them because you’re too fucking deadly otherwise, if not downright lethal.”_

_Ren blinked. No one was supposed to know that, not even Nora... although the reason for that might be because she blackmailed him to be her personal pancake chef in return for not forcing him to tell the truth. The only other person who could deduce that much was Jaune, right after they had their first spar-turned-serious, and perhaps the Beacon’s Headmaster since that man always seemed to be a know-it-all to a fault._

_“...That still doesn’t answer I’m not assigned to the front line, Sun.”_

_The attempt to change the topic was not lost on the staff wielder, if his smug grin was any indication. “Like I said, you’re stronger than any of us, so I’m assigning you as our ace in the hole, our last resort. Our plan B.” the monkey Faunus’s smile faltered and he let out a sigh. “I’m no Arc, so I know that my plan is nowhere near perfect. There’s got to be flaws we overlooked, things that will reduce our chance to win. That’s why, to compensate, I need backup plan.”_

_He paused to look over his current team who was in the process of discussing finer details of the future engagement before diverting his eyes back to Ren. “Our team right now is solid, that much I’m certain, but even with that, I’ve got no illusion about our percentage of success out there. Yang, Warrior Goddess, and I might be able to take him down, but that’s a pretty big if. We may or may not be able to incapacitate Arc even with the three of us. That’s why, if that happens, it will fall to you to do what needs to be done. To succeed where we fail.”_

_Ren was quiet for a few seconds before speaking. “Are you aware that if I face him, we won’t be able to stay in the clearing anymore?”_

_“...Huh?”_

 

~•~

 

A green shadow blurred at the edge of his peripheral vision and Jaune abruptly found himself somersaulting backwards multiple times to avoid being shot by light green and white barrage. When he could finally stop, he had already arrived near the center.

 

Jaune looked up, and found that someone was now standing between him and his previous prey. Two pink orbs glowed in the darkness as their owner stared him down with a look that was both furious and tranquil, a hailstorm in the middle of winter.

 

“Ren...?” Nora whispered, and suddenly, the black haired boy was at her side, holding her arms and carefully bringing her down to sit on the grassy soil.

 

“Relax,” the boy said simply as he worked to make his childhood friend let go of her weapon. Her grip was surprisingly tight, yet he found her hands trembling as he squeezed them. “It’s alright, you’re safe now.” only when the tremor stopped did Ren turn her hands over and placed StormFlower on her palms. “Take care of them for me, okay?”

 

The girl nodded, and Ren flashed her one last smile, ruffling her hair before standing up. He turned around, once again glaring at his team’s leader, bringing his feet to walk forward in careful and measured steps. He stopped exactly five feet away from the blonde, glowing pink eyes clashing with frozen azure orbs.

 

Time slowed into a snail pace as a past conversation crossed his minds.

 

~•~

 

_They were lying on floor of the training room where it looked as if a great battle between two great forces had just transpired, pieces of broken walls and floor surrounding the boys like remains of the fallen as they waited for their teammates to realize that they had gone for a spar and come to haul their exhausted bodies to the infirmary._

_In a way, the description couldn’t be closer to the truth._

_“That was awesome,” Jaune breathed. “This is the first time I’ve been so thoroughly beaten by someone other than my Master.”_

_Ren chuckled between gasps. “Well, what do you know, I was about to say the same line.”_

_“What are you talking about? This is your victory and you know it!” Jaune tried to move, and the most he could do was a twitch of his fingertips. “I mean it! Just look at me! I can’t even lift a finger now!”_

_“The fact that you can still twitch is unbelievable on its own. Really, Jaune, I blew up a King Taijitu’s head with just one blow of that, and you took dozens of it. For Dust’s sake, your bones should have shattered by now.”_

_“Well, it certainly feels that way.” Jaune cringed, then fell silent._

_“Jaune?”_

_“Hey, Ren,” there was something in his leader’s voice. Something he wasn’t able to identify. “Now that I know you can defeat me, can I ask something from you?”_

_Ren creased his eyebrows. “...What is it?”_

_“If I somehow make a mistake and go down a wrong path... if I do anything to hurt them...” he glanced towards the door, where Nora and Pyrrha appeared, both girls’ faces scrunched up in worry as they hurried over to them._

_“Would you stop me?”_

_~•~_

 

They hadn’t been able to finish that conversation, because Pyrrha had already arrived and begun fussing over them like a mother hen that she was, while Nora was laughing on the side at their disheveled appearances after learning that their health wasn’t in immediate danger. He had brushed it aside at the time, thinking that his leader was just joking in some kind of morbid sense of humor.

 

Perhaps, at that time, Jaune had a feeling, a bad foresight or premonition of some sort, that something like this would come to pass. That he would lose his conscious mind and try to kill his own friends. That he would lose his hold on reality, as his honor, kindness, warmth, smile... everything that made him ‘Jaune Arc’ slipped from his grip, and turned him into an empty husk, who no longer had any qualm about killing his own precious people, that he was now.

 

Becoming a shadow of his former self... was that what his leader had feared back then?

 

He looked into his eyes, trying to find the answer to his question, yet found no trace of recognition in the frozen blue. Ren closed his eyes for a split second.

 

As it was, it might have been belated. It might have been too late. But what mattered to Ren now was to give Jaune the reply to his request. If only in his heart, he uttered the words that he should have said all those months ago.

 

**\--Fate/Stay Night Realta Nua OST PS Vita Version– Mighty Wind (/watch?v=G9NSQIV15uI)--**

_‘I promise to stop you.’_

 

When his eyes opened again, Ren was ready. He took his stance. Tonight, he would prove again that no matter how skilled Pyrrha was in a fight, how hard Nora could hit, and how much he tried to hide it, Ren was still the second strongest warrior in Team JNPR. He gazed forward, towards his best friend, his teammate, his leader... the person he would follow to the edge of world, the bottom of ocean, or even the depth of hell itself.

 

Hands opened into palms. There were no words uttered and no hesitation on his expression. For boys like them, sometimes the only proper way to reach out to each other was through their fists.

                                                                                                                      

“Let’s go, _Shàngjiàng_.” (General.)

 

The first punch was thrown by the blonde as soon as Ren breached his personal space. He leaned slightly to the back, a hot wind produced by the Aura empowered right fist brushing his nose and cheeks as it stopped a mere centimeter from his face, clasped between Ren’s crossed arms. Jaune tried to pull back his hand, yet found himself unable to, before his instinct supplied him with the impulse to kick.

 

Yet when his left foot had just left the ground, Ren immediately used his own right foot to kick back the appendage while simultaneously pulling the swordsman’s clasped hand. The action resulted in an opening that Ren quickly took advantage of. He released the hand from his clasp and grabbed Jaune’s wrist instead, pulling him forward further as his free hand delivered a palm attack to the blonde boy’s chest that launched Jaune away, flying through all twenty feet of clearing before crashing into and toppled a tree with the force.

 

The whole process only took five seconds flat.

 

The noise of winds and rain heavily filled the area but Ren heard none of it, his attention and entire being was focused to one and only one presence as he ran forward towards the figure who was slowly picking himself up by the tree line. Ren’s next attack was delivered before Jaune could even take a moment of respite to recalibrate his balance, and the blonde warrior was once again propelled through the air and deeper into the forest with the raven head swiftly chasing after him.

 

The team responsible for keeping perimeter came out of their posts to join their friends in the clearing, all pair of eyes wide in shock at just how quick the table had turned the moment Ren joined the fray. Sun himself was still having trouble believing his eyes. He stood to his full height as he caught the sight of another collapsing tree just moments after the two combatants left the area.

 

“Damn...” he breathed out, amazement gleaming in his eyes. Now he knew what Ren had meant when he said that if plan B were to be implemented, they’d definitely leave the clearing. He couldn’t help but wonder. Just what kind of a messed up academy Beacon really was if they put two monsters like that in the same team?

 

Meanwhile, Ren stopped running at certain point when everything turned pitch black, if not due to dense greenery surrounding him then it must be because cloud had obscured the moon again. The boy didn’t panic at the fact that he had lost his opponent, merely evened his breathing as he closed his eyes and stretches his senses as far and wide as he could afford.

 

 _‘There,’_ he lowered his stance and felt something caress his hair’s tip. There was a shuffle in the ground, a swish in the air. _‘Block left. Right foot kicks.’_ something very heavy hit Ren’s left arm, yet it sounded at the same time as a satisfying crunch when his kick met no defense. _‘Grab wrist. Punch midriff. One step back.’_ he could almost hear his enemy hunching forward after being struck in the stomach.

 

 _‘Pull.’_ he dug his heel on the ground. _‘Then twist.’_

 

The swirling sound of wind that was followed by a loud thud on the soil brought a small smile to Ren’s face.

 

Ren somersaulted backward on instinct as a low sweep came dangerously close to swiping his feet from under him. Ren didn’t even stop to take a breath before he launched forward, hearing another crunch and feeling a nose crushed under his knee. Ten seconds and one more palm attack later, Ren was once again running after Jaune as he soared above the trees to God-knows-which part of the forest this time.

 

When he found him again, the blonde boy was lying on the ground, his body surrounded by wood splinters from the tree that was forced to bear the brunt of his fall. He almost thought that he had finally accomplished his mission, yet that hope was subsequently crushed when Jaune’s form stirred. Ren had to hold himself back from flinching when he saw those infernal frozen blue for the umpteenth time.

 

“You’re not Jaune.”

 

Yes, this person... this _thing_ had his monstrous physical strength and instantaneous reflex, but if their battle for the last five minutes was any indication, he was nowhere near as good as his _Shàngjiàng_. Jaune always knew just how much force he had to put behind his strikes, knew when was the right moment to hit, to defend, or to dodge. Sure, his attacks that didn’t possess the usual restraint and control became even more destructive, yet without the presence of Jaune’s brilliant mind, his careful planning and calculation, all that unleashed power and savagery meant nothing if Ren was able to control the flow of battle with only false openings, feint moves, and superior speed.

 

Instinct and intelligence must go hand in hand, after all.

 

“Where is _our_ Jaune?”

 

He used the outer side of his left wrist to direct the blonde’s next punch away from its target. With his vastly faster movement, Ren exploited Jaune’s forward momentum to close the distance with a step and threw an elbow to his cheek, causing the swordsman’s head to whip to the side, spewing blood from between his lips.

 

Jaune spun and sent a blow, and the ferocious attack wasn’t able to be completely avoided by the raven head. Ren’s eyes widened in alarm, the fist was only a glancing blow to his cheek at best, but he could feel the sting and he was sure that if he had a mirror and it was midday, he would have been able to see the angry red mark forming on his face.

 

“Where are you hiding _him_?”

 

Jaune’s next attack came in the form of a forward kick that aimed straight to Ren’s stomach.

 

_‘With the wind of a monsoon, trap it.’_

 

The martial art expert merely sidestepped the kick, before grabbing the outstretched limb.

 

_‘With the power of a cyclone, let it fly.’_

 

He called upon all the strength his Aura augmented body could muster until the pink glow enveloping his body shone ever brighter in the darkness, and swung the swordsman in three full circles before letting him go upward into the sky.

 

_‘With the strength of a tempest, crush it.’_

 

Jaune’s subconscious was barely able to assess his situation when the martial artist materialized beside him, spinning so rapidly in midair he blurred like a green tornado, before a positively destructive heel kick was slammed into Jaune’s stomach and sent him to the ground which he was introduced to with an insanely loud crash, creating a crater as a result.

 

Ren landed a few feet away, watching as the blonde slowly crawled his way out of the crater. He waited for a moan of pain, a grunt of frustration, a flinch, gritted teeth... anything to indicate that he was getting to Jaune, that his _Shàngjiàng_ was coming back to them, only to found himself growing increasingly irate when he saw it was only that expressionless face that looked up.

 

“...Give him back...” he whispered as his fists vibrated with fury.  The glowing pink eyes narrowed as he charged, snarling. “Give me back my _Shàngjiàng_!”

 

~•~

 

“How do you know that this is the right way?!” Weiss demanded.

 

“In case you’ve forgotten, Princess, I’m a Faunus! I have night vision and better hearing than you do!” Sun shouted back, not even slowing down from his run. “Besides, haven’t you noticed the trail of destruction?! What other direction do you think they’ve gone?!”

 

Then they came across a crater that Ruby fell into, as she let out a scream that alarmed her sister. “Kyaah?!”

 

“What the hell?! Did Jaune and Ren cause this?!” Yang yelled in disbelief as she helped her younger sister out from the crater. “This is totally hax! Are they using real world cheat codes or something?!”

 

“Fucking hell...” Sun muttered, eyeing the crater for a moment before looking at Pyrrha and Nora. “Damn it, women, what kind of people are your teammates really? Tank personifications? God incarnates? _Monsters_?”

 

The two females of Team JNPR glanced at each other before looking back at Sun. “It’s Jaune and Ren,” Pyrrha said flatly as if it was enough to explain everything. She continued, “They destroy one of the training rooms at Beacon every time they spar. On a monthly basis. No one else knows because we have to keep it a secret so they don’t get expelled for destroying school’s property.”

 

“It’s a little ridiculous, I admit, but it’s Jauney and Ren. What else can you expect?” Nora nonchalantly added.

 

“A little? _A little_?” Weiss managed to remark in a strangled tone.

 

Ruby and Yang had their jaws hanging, while Sun just face palmed.

 

 “What _else_ can we expect?” Blake’s left eye was twitching. “Gee, I don’t know, something more down-to-Remnant, ordinary, or _human_ , perhaps?”

 

“It’s Jaune and Ren.” Pyrrha’s flat answer came once again. “Human standards don’t really work with those two.” she added as an afterthought.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Ren finally bares his fang! Big Damn Heroes, Crowning Moment of Awesome, and Curb-stomp Battle all the way around! Oh, Ren, you kick ass thing you!

 

Now, in terms of average fighting capability, due to their extensive Aura augmentation training, Jaune and Ren are approaching but not-quite-there-yet to becoming Lightning Bruiser of the highest order such as Roman and Ozpin, but with different specialization, so to speak. From three standard melee fighter’s stats, which is [Attack], [Defense], and [Speed], Jaune specializes in attack and defense, resembling but not quite a Mighty Glacier since he has decent speed. Meanwhile, Ren specializes in attack and speed, a combination of Fragile Speedster and Glass Cannon.

 

Unlike Jaune who primarily uses his Aura to coat his body like an armor, Ren transmits his Aura directly into his muscles, making him hit twice as hard and move twice as fast compared to Jaune. Furthermore, Ren’s reserves is only as much as a third of Jaune’s sheer amount of Aura, but Ren can keep up with Jaune in a fight because he uses and distributes his Aura more effectively.

 

If the attack level between them is to be compared, Jaune has the most physical strength, but if coupled with Aura augmentation, Ren is the most powerful.

 

I’ll say it again: if there’s something you don’t like, tell me. I’m not psychic, you know?

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	18. Omake - Ozpin is Bored

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: Writing all the seriousness in the latest chapters has been weighing down on me. I need some release, a change of pace! I need a breather!

 

So here you go, another lighthearted Omake.

 

Description: Ozpin is bored, so what else can he do other than turning to his one and biggest source of entertainment?

 

Your BGM for this whole chapter:

**\--Nichijou OP 2 – Hyadain no Joujou Yuujou** **(** **/watch?v=LB7kQN6uNok)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Omake**

**Ozpin is Bored**

 

Jaune re-read the paper’s content again. It still sounded as ridiculous as the last twenty times he had read it, but his Master had insisted that this was indeed the proper way to have fun in school. Since he didn’t exactly have much knowledge on that subject to say otherwise and his Master must have had far more insight than him on the matter, Jaune decided that it wouldn’t hurt to try and follow the instruction.

 

_~•~_

 

**1\. Tell your first friend that a little girl with long black hair and white dress has been following her since the day they met.**

 

Ruby kept checking behind her every five minutes for three days straight.

 

**2\. Stare at your reflection in the mirror for at least ten minutes, then ask, “Who are you?”**

 

Pyrrha had immediately escorted him to the infirmary for a medical test.

 

**3\. Purr “You were so awesome last night.” with a husky voice to the first person you see when you wake up then go back to sleep.**

 

Pyrrha held Ren at gunpoint while asking what exactly did he do to Jaune in their latest spar.

 

**4\. When class is in session, stare at the teacher without blinking for a long time, then stand up and point at him while yelling, “What did you do to the real Professor?!”**

 

Peter Port spent the rest of the day in an interrogation room trying to explain that he was not an imposter.

 

**5\. In the hallway, skip instead of walking.**

 

Pyrrha sighed as she grabbed her partner’s wrist. “Come on, Jaune, we need to get you some decaf.”

 

**6\. Secretly buy a female uniform. After dark, wear it then walk through the campus.**

 

In two days, rumors about a sighting of a mysterious, beautiful blonde girl that only appeared at night began circulating among the whole student body. Her identity, ghost or otherwise, was never confirmed.

 

**7\. In class, grimace and smack your forehead while muttering, “Shut up, dammit, all of you just shut UP!”**

 

Pyrrha forced him to stay and sleep in the infirmary for the rest of the day.

 

**8\. Find a random girl, breathe heavily, then say, “How much do I have to pay to get under that skirt?”**

 

Jaune found himself in the infirmary again after Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss had beaten him so thoroughly with their bare hands.

 

**9\. Stop walking at random times, laugh hysterically for a few seconds before carrying on like normal.**

 

Ren was beginning to think that his leader was possessed.

 

**10\. When you’re in the highest floor, abruptly run and jump out of the window while screaming, “YOLO!”**

 

Pyrrha had a heart attack.

 

**11\. In the middle of a night, go to a corner and stand there silent and motionless while facing the wall.**

 

As it turned out, neither Ren nor Nora could handle ghost, if how they woke Pyrrha up by practically flying under her blanket, before holding onto her like a lifeline while hissing in fear, “It’s the Blair Witch! IT’S THE BLAIR WITCH!” was any indication.

 

**12\. Flip a table during lunch.**

 

In retrospect, doing that while Weiss was sitting across him might have not been a good idea, after all.

 

**13\. Find and use a new weapon, if only temporarily.**

                                                                                                                         

Almost everyone had promptly ditched Dueling class when they saw Jaune with a chainsaw.

**14\. Go to the park. Undress.**

 

Many severe cases of nosebleed occurred that day.

 

**15\. Adopt a British accent and speak with a deeper voice.**

 

Jaune couldn’t for the life of him fathom why Pyrrha and Ruby looked at him with flushed face and half lidded eyes while beginning to breathe heavily every time he spoke more than two sentences.

 

**16\. Run out of the building, screaming “IT’S LOOSE!” repeatedly all the way.**

 

Apparently, when the allegedly strongest freshman was scared enough of something to warrant such reaction, the panic was so enormous the police force and a professional team from Vale Hunter Branch was called in to deal with the threat.

 

**17\. Say that you can take on a Beowolf barehanded.**

 

Strangely, no one was surprised.

 

**18\. Don’t sleep for once.**

 

When Ren woke up the next morning and found Jaune already up before everyone else, he hyperventilated and screamed. “IT’S THE APOCALYPSE!”

 

**19\. Style your hair a bit.**

 

When they saw Jaune with a ponytail, many male students began to question their sexuality.

 

**20\. Suddenly begin to cry while class in in progress.**

 

Ozpin was a bit surprised when Glynda called him on his Scroll. “Headmaster, I think your apprentice is faulty.”

 

_~•~_

 

It had been a really, _really_ entertaining month for Ozpin before it ended with his dear apprentice chasing him through the school while screaming bloody murder after finally realizing that he had been pranked.

 

...He should do this more often.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: Oh, Ozpin, you magnificent prankster you.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


	19. Omake - Ozpin is Bored Part 2

**Galerians, in.**

 

A/N: I can’t help it. The voices in my head won’t shut up! I need to put this on paper or they’re gonna drive me crazy!

 

Description: Ozpin is bored, so what else can he do other than turning to his one and biggest source of entertainment? Antics and hilarity ensue. (This is the rest of the list.)

 

Your BGM for this whole chapter:

**\--Nichijou OP 2 – Hyadain no Joujou Yuujou** **(** **/watch?v=LB7kQN6uNok)--**

 

Disclaimer: I don’t own RWBY, that privilege goes to Monty Oum.

 

**~••~**

 

**Omake**

**Ozpin is Bored**

 

**21\. Acquire a verbal tic.**

 

There was a _lot_ of hair-ruffling and squee-ing after he began ending his sentence with a ‘-poi’.

 

**22\. Attempt to kiss whoever wakes you up.**

 

Pyrrha had just gotten back from her morning shower when she found a puking Ren and Jaune with his head buried in the ceiling.

**23\. Choose one of your friends, and laugh loudly every time they finish talking.**

 

“Jaune,” Ren growled. “I’m really gonna shoot you in the head.”

 

**24\. With your Scroll, send a message to a random person that says, “Hey, want to check my backdoor?”**

 

Cardin couldn’t decide if Jaune had meant that literally or it was some sort of goddamn booty call.

 

**25\. Pinch someone’s butt and say, “Nice ass.”**

 

Ren grabbed his leader and ran for their lives when Pyrrha and Ruby left to collect their weapons.

 

**26\. Deliver a long, winded, and completely unrelated speech every time you want to ask for something.**

 

“—The universe has given us chance at every turn, opportunities at every corner. Our past, our failures, are given as lessons to learn, intended to help us become better, greater, a glorious gift more than anything we could ever imagine.” Jaune held out his hand. “And that is why I demand you pass that sauce.”

 

Ruby’s left eye was twitching. “...Jaune, of all the insanity I’ve seen from you, this one takes the cake.”

 

**27\. Return to your room before everyone else. Play Sephiroth’s theme song.**

 

“...This is it, guys.” Ren whispered fearfully as they listened to a dreadful music and ominous Latin chanting from their dorm room. “He’s snapped. It’s the end of the world as we know it.”

 

“...What?” Pyrrha could only ask in confusion.

 

“We’re doomed,” Nora’s voice was choked from holding back a sob. “He’s succumbed to the Jenova cells. He’s gonna kill everyone and use the Planet as a vessel to sail the darkness cosmos! We have no hope! There’s no stopping this!”

 

“Where is Cloud when you need him?!”

 

Pyrrha looked at her stressed teammates back and forth. “...Alright, that’s it. You all need help.”

 

**28\. Stand on top of the highest building you can find, scream, “I AM THE KING OF THIS WORLD!” before cackling maniacally.**

 

“You know...” a random guy in the crowd said. “I’m beginning to think that Beacon’s students have got to have a screw loose somewhere.”

 

“...That’s one way to put it.”

 

**29\. Sport a Slasher Smile whenever you’re in public.**

 

That day, the majority of Beacon’s student body strongly felt the urge to write a dying will.

 

**30\. Do this before you have you match in Dueling class: look straight at the other guy and drag your thumb across your neck while grinning as wide as possible.**

 

Glynda was just about to say “Begin!” when Jaune’s would-be opponent, or the whole class for that matter, ran out of the building while screaming about being too young to die in the process.

 

**31\. Sleep without clothes.**

 

It was Pyrrha’s turn to wake up Jaune that day, and she ended up spending the whole weekend unconscious in the infirmary after a severe case of nosebleed.

 

**32\. Walk up to someone and claim that they’re your muse.**

 

Bartholomew Oobleck had mixed feelings.

 

**33\. Adorn one of your ears with a piercing and wear a glasses.**

 

“Is it possible for someone to look badass, dorky, hot, innocent, smart, and stupid, all at the same time?” Yang mused.

 

Blake caught the sight of Jaune coming out of his room and proceeded to raise one eyebrow. “Apparently it is.”

 

**34\. Barge into a classroom, then yell that something has escaped its cage.**

 

“What?! Which one?! The Beowolf, Boarbatusk, or the Nevermore?!”

 

Peter Port was brought in for questioning and spent another day in the interrogation room.

**35\. Use an unorthodox weapon.**

 

Cardin stared incredulously at his opponent, then asked the audience, “Is this some kind of fad I don’t know about?”

 

In front of him, there was Jaune, looking serious as all hell while holding a fork and a tissue box.

 

**36\. Grab one of your friends, then whisper to his/her ear, “What do you say if I give you my first?”**

 

Weiss had given him the first experience of being frozen alive.

 

**37\. Do not speak, not even a word, all day long.**

 

By the end of the day, the gang had become so anxious and frightened that they gave a loud and exuberant cheer when during dinner, Jaune finally said his first word.

 

At this point, nearly everyone in Beacon had a silent agreement that trying to find explanation about the hijinks occurring around the blonde swordsman was a lost cause.

 

**38\. Make a show of licking your sword before a battle.**

 

Apparently, it gave the other team enough scare to give up after one second into the match... and enough trauma to seek a professional help afterwards.

 

In addition, Team JNPR broke the world record of fastest victory in team battle.

 

**39\. Boldly go where no one has gone before.**

 

“Would you please cut it out already?!” Ren shouted while holding onto his leader’s waist.

 

“Let me go, Ren! This is something I must do!”

 

“That’s the girl’s changing room! I don’t care how strong you are; you’ll die! You’ll definitely die!”

 

**40\. Ask your partner to buy you something.**

 

“Pyrrha,” Ren massaged his temple. “Why, _why_ do you have to keep buying him toys?”

 

“Bu-but, just look at him!” Pyrrha gestured to Jaune, who was happily playing with his Gundam models on his bed. “He’s so adorable! How could I refuse him?!”

 

Ren let out a defeated sigh. He had a hope that Pyrrha would remain the one voice of reason in his team. Sadly, it didn’t last.

 

_To be Continued..._

 

A/N: I feel... contented.

 

Praise me, shun me, applause me, make fun of me. Whatever you want to do, it's your call. Whatever it shall be, I will accept all.

 

Thanks a zillion for reading!

 

**Galerians, out.**

 


End file.
